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PHEVs emit nearly five times more global warming emissions than lab-reported figures show, as per a recent report.

Growing Gap In Official and Actual CO2 Output

Data shows that PHEVs release only one-fifth less CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to research carried out by a non-profit group. This contrasts significantly with lab estimates, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in pollution.

Researchers examined information from in-vehicle energy use meters of 800,000 cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They found that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than lab estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported emissions are falling,” stated a senior researcher participating in the study. “This gap is growing and creates a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs emit nearly as much as gasoline cars.”

Key Factors Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts linked the majority of the difference to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers driven in battery power relative to overall distance. The team found that only 27% of travel was done in electric mode, whereas lab estimates assumed 84%.

Additionally, when running in EV mode, pollution levels were well above official estimates. That occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function independently, leading to combustion motors using fossil fuels for nearly a third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Policy and Financial Implications

Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV emissions allowed several large automaker groups to escape more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with EU average fleet CO₂ standards.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would spend about €500 more annually in operating expenses than is estimated under laboratory conditions.

“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are obviously far from the truth,” stated a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being duped into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ production, and operating expenses.”

Policy Debate and Industry Pressure

Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been brought again into political discussions as carmakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO₂ targets. A planned prohibition on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive sector and opposition from member states with large car manufacturing.

Several senior politicians have proposed PHEVs as a potential “flexibility” option to include in the legislation.

One independent energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after years in which parts of the car industry claimed there was too little information to properly evaluate actual emissions.

“These findings show, without question, that the gap between lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is significantly larger than for petrol or conventional cars,” they said. “All policy changes concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme care and in the light of this evidence.”