Plug-in Hybrid electric Vehicles Emit Nearly as Heavily as Gasoline Vehicles, Report Finds

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles emit nearly 5x greater global warming pollution than official figures indicate, as per a recent analysis.

Growing Discrepancy In Official and Actual Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only 19% less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, based on analysis carried out by a non-profit group. This differs significantly with lab estimates, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.

Analysts examined information from in-vehicle fuel consumption meters of 800,000 vehicles sold in the EU between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab figures, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while official emissions are decreasing,” stated a lead analyst participating in the study. “That discrepancy is widening and creates a serious problem. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers linked the majority of the gap to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in electric power compared to total mileage. The team determined that just a quarter of driving was completed in EV mode, while lab estimates assumed 84%.

Even, when operating in EV mode, emission amounts were well above lab projections. That happened because EV motors were not strong enough to operate alone, resulting to combustion motors burning fossil fuels for almost a third of the distance covered in EV mode.

Policy and Economic Implications

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

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs could pay about €500 extra annually in operating costs than would be assumed under laboratory tests.

“The strong claims that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are clearly far from the mark,” stated a transport analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting costs. Actually, PHEVs are little better than regular petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO₂ emissions, and operating expenses.”

Political Debate and Automotive Lobbying

Plug-in hybrid cars have lately been drawn back into political debates as automakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO₂ standards. A planned ban on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive industry and resistance from member states with significant car industries.

Several high-level officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” solution to include in the legislation.

One external energy economics specialist, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the report a “highly valuable contribution” after years in which parts of the automotive sector argued there was insufficient information to properly evaluate real-world CO2 output.

“The results demonstrate, without question, that the difference between official and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is much, much larger than for gasoline or conventional cars,” the expert stated. “Any regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and considering that data.”