🔗 Share this article

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release almost 5x more global warming pollution than official figures show, as per a recent analysis.

Widening Gap In Official and Real-World Emissions

Statistics reveals that PHEVs emit only one-fifth less CO₂ than conventional petrol and diesel cars, based on research conducted by a advocacy group. That differs sharply with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% decrease in pollution.

Researchers examined data from in-vehicle fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe from 2021 and 2023. The team found that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than lab estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported figures are falling,” said a lead analyst participating in the report. “This discrepancy is widening and poses a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as much as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Factors Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers attributed the majority of the gap to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers driven in battery mode relative to overall distance. They determined that only a quarter of driving was done in electric mode, whereas official assumptions assumed over four-fifths.

Additionally, when operating in electric mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than official projections. That happened because EV motors were not strong enough to operate alone, leading to engines burning gasoline for nearly a third of the travel covered in electric mode.

Policy and Economic Implications

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output allowed several large carmaker companies to escape more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs would pay about €500 extra annually in operating expenses than is assumed under lab conditions.

“The strong claims that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are clearly far from the truth,” stated a automotive expert. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting money. In reality, PHEVs are little improved than regular gas and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO₂ production, and operating costs.”

Policy Discussion and Industry Lobbying

Hybrid vehicles have recently been drawn again into policy discussions as automakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO₂ standards. A planned ban on new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car industry and opposition from EU countries with large automotive industries.

Some high-level officials have proposed PHEVs as a potential “compromise” option to introduce in the legislation.

One external energy policy expert, who was not involved with the research, described the analysis a “very useful addition” after years in which parts of the automotive sector claimed there was insufficient information to properly evaluate actual emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the difference in lab and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is significantly greater than for petrol or conventional cars,” they said. “All regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme care and considering that evidence.”