Plug-in Hybrid Cars Emit Nearly as Much as Petrol Cars, Report Finds
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles emit nearly 5x more global warming emissions than lab-reported figures indicate, as per a new analysis.
Widening Gap In Official and Real-World CO2 Output
Statistics shows that PHEVs release just one-fifth less CO2 than traditional petrol and diesel cars, based on analysis carried out by a advocacy organization. This differs significantly with laboratory tests, which suggested a three-quarters decrease in emissions.
Researchers examined data from onboard energy use meters of 800,000 vehicles sold in the EU between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than official estimates, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.
“Actual CO2 output are rising, while official figures are falling,” stated a senior analyst participating in the report. “This discrepancy is growing and poses a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute almost as much as petrol vehicles.”
Key Factors Driving the Emissions Gap
Analysts linked the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers travelled in battery mode relative to overall mileage. They found that just a quarter of travel was done in EV mode, whereas lab assumptions suggested over four-fifths.
Even, when running in EV mode, emission amounts were well above lab projections. That occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function independently, resulting to combustion motors using fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the distance covered in electric mode.
Regulatory and Financial Implications
Based on estimates, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled several major automaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with EU average fleet CO2 standards.
Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 extra annually in operating expenses than would be assumed under lab conditions.
“The strong claims that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are clearly far from the mark,” commented a transport analyst. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are little better than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO2 emissions, and running costs.”
Political Debate and Automotive Pressure
Plug-in hybrid cars have recently been drawn back into policy discussions as carmakers have lobbied the EU to relax CO2 targets. A proposed ban on sales of new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive industry and resistance from EU countries with large automotive manufacturing.
Several senior politicians have proposed PHEVs as a possible “compromise” option to introduce in the legislation.
An independent energy economics specialist, who was not involved with the research, described the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after years in which parts of the car sector claimed there was too little information to properly evaluate real-world CO2 output.
“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the difference in official and actual PHEV energy use and CO2 emissions is much, much greater than for petrol or conventional vehicles,” they stated. “Any policy changes concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and considering that evidence.”
