Plug in Hybrid electric Cars Pollute Nearly as Much as Petrol Cars, Study Finds

Plug-in hybrid cars emit almost 5x more planet-heating emissions than official data show, as per a new report.

Widening Discrepancy In Lab and Real-World CO2 Output

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release only 19% lower CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to research carried out by a advocacy organization. This differs sharply with laboratory tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.

Researchers studied information from in-vehicle fuel consumption meters of 800,000 vehicles registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team found that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab estimates, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while official figures are decreasing,” stated a lead analyst involved in the report. “That discrepancy is widening and creates a significant problem. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol vehicles.”

Primary Factors Driving the Emissions Gap

Analysts linked the majority of the gap to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of miles driven in electric power compared to overall mileage. They determined that just 27% of driving was completed in EV mode, whereas lab assumptions assumed 84%.

Even, when operating in EV mode, emission levels were significantly higher than lab projections. That happened because electric motors were not strong sufficient to operate independently, leading to engines using fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the distance completed in EV mode.

Regulatory and Financial Implications

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed several major automaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying adherence with European Union average fleet CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 extra annually in operating expenses than is assumed under laboratory tests.

“The strong claims that manufacturers often promote about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” stated a automotive expert. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly improved than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid cars have recently been drawn again into political discussions as carmakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO₂ targets. A planned prohibition on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive sector and opposition from member states with significant car manufacturing.

Several high-level politicians have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” option to introduce in the legislation.

An external energy economics expert, who was not involved with the study, described the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after a long period in which segments of the automotive industry argued there was insufficient information to accurately assess real-world CO2 output.

“These findings show, without question, that the gap in lab and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is significantly greater than for petrol or diesel cars,” the expert stated. “All policy changes regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme care and considering this evidence.”