Plug in Hybrid Cars Emit Nearly as Heavily as Gasoline Vehicles, Report Finds
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release nearly five times more global warming emissions than lab-reported figures show, according to a recent report.
Widening Discrepancy Between Lab and Actual Emissions
Statistics shows that PHEVs release just one-fifth less CO2 than conventional petrol and diesel cars, according to analysis conducted by a advocacy organization. That contrasts sharply with laboratory tests, which suggested a three-quarters decrease in emissions.
Analysts studied information from onboard energy use monitors of 800,000 cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab estimates, increased from three and a half times in 2021.
“Actual CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported figures are decreasing,” stated a senior researcher participating in the study. “That discrepancy is growing and poses a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol vehicles.”
Primary Reasons Behind the Discrepancy
Researchers attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers driven in battery mode relative to overall distance. They determined that just 27% of travel was done in electric mode, whereas official estimates suggested over four-fifths.
Additionally, when running in EV mode, pollution amounts were significantly higher than lab estimates. This happened because electric motors were not strong sufficient to operate independently, resulting to combustion motors burning fossil fuels for almost one-third of the travel covered in EV mode.
Policy and Economic Consequences
Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV emissions enabled several large carmaker companies to escape more than €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing compliance with EU average fleet CO2 standards.
Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would pay about €500 extra per year in operating costs than would be estimated under lab tests.
“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are obviously way off the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being duped into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and operating expenses.”
Political Discussion and Automotive Pressure
Plug-in hybrid cars have lately been brought again into policy discussions as automakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO2 targets. A planned prohibition on new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and resistance from member states with significant automotive industries.
Some high-level officials have suggested PHEVs as a potential “compromise” option to introduce in the legislation.
One independent energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the report a “highly valuable addition” after years in which parts of the automotive industry claimed there was insufficient data to properly evaluate real-world CO2 output.
“These findings show, without question, that the gap in lab and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is much, much larger than for gasoline or conventional vehicles,” the expert stated. “All regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and considering that data.”