🔗 Share this article

PHEVs emit almost 5x greater global warming emissions than lab-reported data show, as per a recent analysis.

Growing Discrepancy In Official and Real-World Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only 19% lower CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on analysis conducted by a advocacy organization. That contrasts significantly with lab tests, which suggested a 75% reduction in pollution.

Analysts studied data from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 vehicles registered in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than official figures, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are rising, while official figures are falling,” stated a senior analyst participating in the report. “This gap is growing and creates a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as petrol cars.”

Key Reasons Behind the Discrepancy

Researchers linked most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers travelled in battery mode compared to overall distance. The team found that just 27% of driving was completed in EV mode, whereas official assumptions assumed 84%.

Additionally, when operating in electric mode, pollution levels were well above official projections. This occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function alone, resulting to combustion motors burning gasoline for almost a third of the travel completed in EV mode.

Regulatory and Economic Implications

Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV emissions allowed several major automaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with European Union fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could pay about €500 extra per year in operating expenses than would be estimated under laboratory conditions.

“The bold claims that automakers often promote about their plug-in hybrid cars are obviously far from the truth,” stated a transport analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are little better than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel use, CO₂ emissions, and operating costs.”

Political Debate and Industry Lobbying

Hybrid cars have recently been brought again into political debates as carmakers have lobbied the European Union to relax CO₂ standards. A planned prohibition on sales of new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car sector and resistance from member states with significant car manufacturing.

Several high-level officials have suggested PHEVs as a potential “compromise” option to include in the legislation.

One independent energy economics specialist, who was not involved with the study, called the report a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which segments of the automotive sector argued there was insufficient information to accurately evaluate real-world emissions.

“The results demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the gap in lab and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” they stated. “Any regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with utmost caution and considering this data.”