Plug in Hybrid Cars Pollute Almost as Heavily as Petrol Vehicles, Report Reveals
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release almost five times more planet-heating pollution than official figures indicate, according to a recent report.
Widening Gap In Lab and Real-World Emissions
Data reveals that PHEVs emit only one-fifth less CO2 than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, based on analysis carried out by a advocacy group. That differs significantly with laboratory tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in emissions.
Researchers studied data from onboard fuel consumption monitors of eight hundred thousand vehicles sold in the EU from 2021 and 2023. They found that real-world CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab figures, increased from three and a half times in 2021.
“Actual emissions are rising, while official emissions are decreasing,” said a lead researcher involved in the report. “This discrepancy is widening and creates a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol cars.”
Key Reasons Driving the Emissions Gap
Analysts linked the majority of the difference to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in electric power relative to total distance. They determined that only 27% of travel was done in EV mode, whereas official assumptions suggested over four-fifths.
Even, when operating in electric mode, emission amounts were well above lab estimates. This happened because EV motors were not strong enough to operate alone, leading to engines using fossil fuels for nearly a third of the travel covered in electric mode.
Regulatory and Financial Implications
According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled several major automaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with European Union average fleet CO2 targets.
Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would spend about €500 more per year in operating expenses than would be estimated under lab conditions.
“The bold claims that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV vehicles are clearly far from the truth,” stated a transport expert. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting costs. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly improved than standard petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO2 production, and running expenses.”
Political Discussion and Industry Lobbying
Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been brought again into policy discussions as carmakers have pressed the EU to relax CO2 standards. A planned prohibition on new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive sector and resistance from member states with significant automotive industries.
Several senior politicians have suggested PHEVs as a possible “compromise” solution to include in the regulation.
An external energy policy expert, who was not involved with the research, called the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after years in which parts of the automotive sector claimed there was too little data to properly assess actual CO2 output.
“The results demonstrate, without question, that the gap in lab and real-world PHEV energy use and CO2 emissions is much, much larger than for gasoline or conventional cars,” they said. “Any regulatory adjustments concerning PHEVs should be made with utmost care and in the light of this data.”
