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Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release almost five times greater planet-heating pollution than lab-reported figures show, as per a recent analysis.

Widening Gap In Lab and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release only 19% less CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel cars, according to analysis carried out by a advocacy group. That differs significantly with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% decrease in pollution.

Analysts examined information from onboard energy use monitors of 800,000 cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than official estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are increasing, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a senior researcher participating in the study. “This discrepancy is growing and creates a serious problem. Consequently, PHEVs emit nearly as heavily as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Reasons Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts linked the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles driven in electric mode compared to total distance. The team determined that just 27% of driving was completed in EV mode, whereas lab assumptions assumed 84%.

Even, when running in electric mode, pollution amounts were significantly higher than lab estimates. This occurred because electric motors were not strong enough to operate alone, leading to engines burning gasoline for almost one-third of the distance completed in EV mode.

Policy and Economic Implications

Based on calculations, the lowballing of PHEV emissions allowed several large carmaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing compliance with European Union average fleet CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could pay approximately €500 more annually in running costs than is assumed under laboratory conditions.

“The strong claims that automakers often promote about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are clearly way off the mark,” stated a automotive expert. “Buyers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO₂ production, and running costs.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have lately been brought back into policy discussions as automakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO₂ standards. A proposed ban on new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the automotive sector and resistance from EU countries with large automotive manufacturing.

Some high-level officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a possible “flexibility” option to introduce in the regulation.

One external energy economics specialist, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the analysis a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which segments of the automotive industry argued there was too little data to properly evaluate actual emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap between official and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is significantly larger than for gasoline or diesel cars,” they stated. “Any regulatory changes concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme care and in the light of this data.”