Plug-in Hybrid Cars Emit Nearly as Heavily as Petrol Cars, Study Finds
Plug-in hybrid cars emit almost five times greater global warming emissions than official data indicate, as per a new report.
Widening Discrepancy In Lab and Real-World CO2 Output
Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only 19% lower CO2 than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to analysis conducted by a non-profit organization. That contrasts significantly with laboratory tests, which assumed a three-quarters decrease in pollution.
Researchers examined information from onboard energy use meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that real-world CO2 emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab estimates, increased from three and a half times in 2021.
“Actual CO2 output are increasing, while official emissions are falling,” stated a senior researcher participating in the report. “This discrepancy is growing and poses a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as petrol vehicles.”
Primary Factors Behind the Emissions Gap
Analysts linked the majority of the gap to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of kilometers driven in battery mode relative to total mileage. They determined that only a quarter of travel was done in EV mode, while lab assumptions assumed 84%.
Even, when operating in EV mode, emission amounts were significantly higher than lab projections. That happened because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to operate alone, resulting to combustion motors using fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the travel completed in electric mode.
Regulatory and Economic Consequences
Based on calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled several major automaker companies to escape more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with European Union fleet-average CO2 targets.
Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would spend about €500 more annually in operating expenses than is assumed under lab tests.
“The strong statements that automakers often promote about their PHEV cars are obviously way off the truth,” stated a transport analyst. “Consumers are being duped into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are little improved than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO2 production, and running costs.”
Policy Debate and Industry Pressure
Hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn back into political discussions as automakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO2 targets. A planned prohibition on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and opposition from EU countries with large automotive manufacturing.
Several senior officials have suggested plug-in hybrids as a potential “compromise” solution to introduce in the regulation.
An external energy policy specialist, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the report a “highly valuable addition” after a long period in which segments of the car industry argued there was insufficient information to properly assess actual emissions.
“The results demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the difference in official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 emissions is much, much greater than for petrol or diesel vehicles,” they said. “All regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme care and in the light of this evidence.”
