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PHEVs release nearly five times more global warming pollution than official data indicate, as per a recent analysis.

Growing Discrepancy Between Lab and Real-World Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only 19% less CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel vehicles, according to analysis conducted by a non-profit organization. That contrasts sharply with lab estimates, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in emissions.

Researchers examined data from in-vehicle energy use meters of eight hundred thousand cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They found that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official figures, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while official emissions are decreasing,” stated a senior analyst involved in the study. “That gap is widening and poses a serious problem. Consequently, PHEVs emit nearly as heavily as petrol cars.”

Key Factors Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers linked the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of miles travelled in electric mode compared to total distance. They found that just 27% of driving was done in electric mode, while official estimates assumed 84%.

Even, when operating in EV mode, emission amounts were significantly higher than lab projections. This occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to operate alone, leading to engines using fossil fuels for almost a third of the travel covered in electric mode.

Regulatory and Financial Implications

According to estimates, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled several major automaker groups to escape over €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing adherence with European Union fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would spend about €500 more per year in running costs than is assumed under laboratory conditions.

“The bold statements that automakers often promote about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are clearly far from the mark,” stated a automotive expert. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and cutting money. In reality, PHEVs are little improved than standard gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO₂ production, and running costs.”

Political Debate and Industry Lobbying

Hybrid cars have lately been brought again into political discussions as carmakers have pressed the European Union to weaken CO₂ targets. A planned prohibition on new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the car industry and opposition from EU countries with large car industries.

Several senior officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “compromise” solution to include in the regulation.

An external energy economics specialist, who was not involved with the study, described the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after years in which segments of the car sector claimed there was too little information to accurately evaluate real-world CO2 output.

“The results show, without question, that the difference between lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is significantly larger than for petrol or diesel cars,” they said. “Any regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with utmost caution and considering that data.”