🔗 Share this article

PHEVs produce nearly 5x more planet-heating pollution than lab-reported data indicate, according to a new analysis.

Widening Discrepancy In Lab and Real-World Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs release just 19% less CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel vehicles, based on research conducted by a advocacy group. This contrasts sharply with lab tests, which suggested a 75% decrease in emissions.

Researchers studied information from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 vehicles sold in the EU between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are rising, while official emissions are decreasing,” stated a senior analyst involved in the report. “That gap is widening and poses a serious problem. Consequently, PHEVs emit nearly as much as petrol cars.”

Primary Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in electric mode compared to overall mileage. The team found that only a quarter of travel was done in electric mode, while lab assumptions suggested over four-fifths.

Even, when operating in electric mode, emission levels were well above lab projections. This occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful enough to operate independently, resulting to engines using gasoline for almost one-third of the travel covered in EV mode.

Regulatory and Financial Consequences

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled four major carmaker groups to avoid over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs could spend about €500 more per year in running costs than would be estimated under lab tests.

“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are obviously way off the truth,” stated a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the environment and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are little improved than regular gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ production, and running expenses.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid cars have recently been brought again into political discussions as carmakers have lobbied the EU to relax CO₂ targets. A proposed ban on new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and opposition from EU countries with large automotive industries.

Some high-level officials have proposed PHEVs as a possible “compromise” solution to introduce in the legislation.

One independent energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after years in which segments of the automotive industry claimed there was insufficient data to properly assess real-world emissions.

“These findings show, without question, that the gap in lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ output is much, much greater than for gasoline or conventional vehicles,” they stated. “All policy adjustments concerning PHEVs should be implemented with utmost care and in the light of that evidence.”