Plug in Hybrid electric Vehicles Pollute Nearly as Much as Petrol Vehicles, Report Finds
Plug-in hybrid cars emit nearly 5x greater global warming emissions than official figures show, according to a recent analysis.
Widening Discrepancy Between Lab and Real-World Emissions
Statistics reveals that PHEVs emit just 19% lower CO2 than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on research conducted by a non-profit organization. That differs significantly with lab estimates, which suggested a three-quarters reduction in pollution.
Analysts studied data from in-vehicle fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than official estimates, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.
“Real-world emissions are rising, while official emissions are decreasing,” said a senior analyst involved in the report. “This discrepancy is widening and creates a serious problem. Consequently, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol cars.”
Primary Factors Driving the Discrepancy
Researchers attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in battery mode relative to overall distance. The team determined that only a quarter of driving was done in electric mode, while lab assumptions suggested 84%.
Even, when operating in electric mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than official estimates. That happened because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to operate independently, resulting to engines using gasoline for nearly one-third of the travel completed in EV mode.
Regulatory and Financial Consequences
According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled several major carmaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying compliance with European Union fleet-average CO2 targets.
Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could pay approximately €500 more annually in operating expenses than is estimated under lab conditions.
“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are clearly way off the mark,” commented a transport analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are little better than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO2 emissions, and running expenses.”
Policy Discussion and Industry Lobbying
Plug-in hybrid cars have recently been brought back into political debates as automakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO2 targets. A planned ban on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive industry and resistance from EU countries with large automotive industries.
Several senior officials have suggested plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” solution to introduce in the legislation.
An external energy policy expert, who was not involved with the research, described the report a “highly valuable addition” after a long period in which parts of the car industry claimed there was insufficient data to properly evaluate real-world emissions.
“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the difference in lab and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 emissions is significantly greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” the expert said. “All policy adjustments concerning PHEVs should be made with utmost care and in the light of that data.”
