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Plug-in hybrid cars emit nearly 5x greater global warming emissions than official figures show, as per a recent analysis.

Growing Gap Between Official and Real-World Emissions

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release just one-fifth lower CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, based on research conducted by a advocacy group. This contrasts sharply with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% reduction in emissions.

Analysts studied data from in-vehicle energy use monitors of 800,000 cars registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than official estimates, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while lab-reported emissions are falling,” said a lead analyst involved in the report. “That discrepancy is growing and creates a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as much as petrol cars.”

Key Reasons Behind the Discrepancy

Researchers linked most of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers driven in electric power compared to overall distance. They found that just 27% of travel was done in EV mode, while lab assumptions suggested over four-fifths.

Even, when operating in EV mode, pollution amounts were significantly higher than lab projections. This happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function independently, resulting to combustion motors using fossil fuels for nearly a third of the travel covered in EV mode.

Regulatory and Economic Consequences

Based on calculations, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled several major carmaker groups to avoid over €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing adherence with European Union average fleet CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could pay approximately €500 extra per year in operating expenses than would be assumed under laboratory tests.

“The strong statements that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are clearly way off the mark,” stated a transport expert. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly improved than standard gas and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ production, and running costs.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying

Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been brought back into political discussions as automakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO₂ standards. A planned prohibition on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car industry and opposition from EU countries with large car industries.

Several senior officials have proposed PHEVs as a possible “compromise” option to introduce in the regulation.

An independent energy economics expert, who was not involved with the research, described the report a “highly valuable addition” after years in which segments of the automotive industry argued there was insufficient data to properly assess real-world emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap in lab and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is significantly greater than for gasoline or diesel vehicles,” they stated. “Any regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with utmost caution and in the light of that evidence.”