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Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles produce nearly 5x more planet-heating pollution than lab-reported figures indicate, as per a recent report.

Growing Gap Between Official and Actual Emissions

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release just one-fifth less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel cars, according to analysis conducted by a advocacy group. This contrasts significantly with laboratory tests, which suggested a three-quarters decrease in emissions.

Researchers examined information from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 vehicles registered in the EU from 2021 and 2023. They discovered that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than official figures, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are rising, while official emissions are falling,” said a lead analyst participating in the study. “This gap is widening and creates a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol vehicles.”

Primary Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap

Analysts linked the majority of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of miles driven in electric power compared to overall mileage. The team found that just a quarter of travel was completed in electric mode, while lab estimates suggested over four-fifths.

Even, when operating in EV mode, pollution amounts were well above official estimates. That occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to operate independently, leading to engines using fossil fuels for nearly a third of the travel completed in electric mode.

Policy and Economic Consequences

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV emissions allowed several major automaker groups to escape over €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing adherence with European Union fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could spend about €500 more annually in running costs than would be estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold claims that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are clearly far from the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and cutting costs. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard petrol and diesel cars in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid vehicles have lately been brought again into policy discussions as carmakers have lobbied the EU to relax CO₂ standards. A proposed prohibition on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the car sector and opposition from EU countries with significant car manufacturing.

Some senior officials have suggested PHEVs as a potential “flexibility” option to introduce in the regulation.

An independent energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the report a “very useful addition” after a long period in which parts of the car industry claimed there was insufficient information to accurately evaluate real-world CO2 output.

“The results demonstrate, without question, that the gap between official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is much, much greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” the expert stated. “Any regulatory changes concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and in the light of that evidence.”