Plug-in Hybrid electric Cars Pollute Nearly as Much as Petrol Vehicles, Report Finds

PHEVs produce almost 5x more planet-heating emissions than official figures indicate, as per a new analysis.

Widening Discrepancy In Official and Real-World CO2 Output

Data reveals that PHEVs release just 19% less CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel vehicles, according to research carried out by a advocacy group. This differs sharply with laboratory estimates, which suggested a three-quarters decrease in emissions.

Researchers examined information from onboard fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than official estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are increasing, while official figures are falling,” stated a lead analyst participating in the study. “This gap is growing and poses a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute nearly as much as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Factors Driving the Emissions Gap

Researchers linked most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers driven in battery power relative to total distance. They found that only a quarter of travel was done in electric mode, whereas lab assumptions suggested over four-fifths.

Additionally, when running in electric mode, pollution amounts were significantly higher than official projections. This happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function independently, leading to engines using gasoline for almost a third of the travel completed in electric mode.

Regulatory and Financial Implications

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled several major automaker groups to escape over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs would spend about €500 more per year in operating expenses than is estimated under laboratory conditions.

“The strong statements that automakers often promote about their PHEV cars are clearly way off the mark,” stated a transport analyst. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are little better than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and operating expenses.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid cars have lately been drawn back into policy debates as carmakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ standards. A proposed prohibition on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and opposition from EU countries with significant car industries.

Several high-level politicians have suggested PHEVs as a potential “flexibility” option to include in the regulation.

An external energy economics expert, who was not involved with the study, called the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after a long period in which parts of the car industry argued there was too little data to properly evaluate actual CO2 output.

“These findings demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the difference in official and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” they stated. “Any policy adjustments concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme care and considering this evidence.”