🔗 Share this article

PHEVs emit almost five times greater planet-heating emissions than lab-reported figures indicate, according to a recent report.

Widening Gap In Official and Real-World CO2 Output

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release just 19% lower CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to research carried out by a advocacy organization. This contrasts significantly with lab tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.

Analysts examined data from onboard fuel consumption meters of 800,000 vehicles sold in the EU between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official estimates, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while lab-reported emissions are falling,” stated a lead researcher participating in the study. “That gap is growing and creates a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute nearly as heavily as petrol cars.”

Primary Factors Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of miles driven in battery power compared to overall mileage. The team determined that only 27% of travel was completed in electric mode, while lab assumptions assumed 84%.

Even, when running in EV mode, emission levels were significantly higher than official estimates. This happened because electric motors were insufficiently powerful enough to operate alone, leading to engines using gasoline for nearly one-third of the travel covered in electric mode.

Policy and Financial Consequences

Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed four major automaker groups to avoid over €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could spend about €500 extra per year in operating expenses than would be assumed under lab tests.

“The bold statements that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV cars are clearly far from the mark,” commented a automotive expert. “Buyers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. In reality, PHEVs are little improved than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and operating expenses.”

Policy Discussion and Industry Lobbying

Plug-in hybrid cars have recently been brought back into political debates as automakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ targets. A proposed ban on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car sector and opposition from member states with significant automotive manufacturing.

Some senior politicians have suggested PHEVs as a potential “compromise” solution to include in the regulation.

An independent energy policy specialist, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the report a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which segments of the car industry claimed there was too little information to accurately evaluate actual CO2 output.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the difference in official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is significantly greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” the expert stated. “All regulatory adjustments concerning PHEVs should be implemented with utmost caution and in the light of that evidence.”