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Plug-in hybrid cars release almost 5x more planet-heating pollution than official data indicate, as per a recent report.

Growing Discrepancy In Official and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release only one-fifth less CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel cars, according to analysis carried out by a advocacy organization. That differs significantly with lab estimates, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.

Analysts studied data from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than official estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are rising, while official emissions are decreasing,” stated a lead researcher participating in the report. “That gap is widening and poses a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as much as gasoline cars.”

Primary Factors Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers linked most of the difference to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of miles driven in electric mode compared to total distance. The team determined that only a quarter of driving was completed in EV mode, while official estimates suggested over four-fifths.

Additionally, when running in electric mode, emission levels were well above lab projections. This happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to operate independently, resulting to combustion motors burning fossil fuels for almost a third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Regulatory and Economic Implications

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled four major carmaker groups to escape more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying compliance with EU average fleet CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could spend approximately €500 more annually in operating costs than would be assumed under laboratory tests.

“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are clearly way off the mark,” stated a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are little better than standard petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid vehicles have recently been brought back into policy discussions as carmakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO₂ targets. A proposed ban on new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with large car manufacturing.

Several senior politicians have suggested plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” option to introduce in the legislation.

An independent energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the report a “highly valuable addition” after years in which segments of the car industry claimed there was insufficient information to accurately evaluate actual CO2 output.

“The results show, beyond any doubt, that the gap in official and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ output is much, much greater than for petrol or conventional vehicles,” they said. “Any regulatory changes concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme care and in the light of that evidence.”