Plug-in Hybrid electric Vehicles Pollute Almost as Heavily as Gasoline Cars, Report Finds

Plug-in hybrid cars produce almost five times greater global warming emissions than official figures indicate, as per a new analysis.

Growing Discrepancy In Official and Actual Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only 19% lower CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, according to analysis conducted by a non-profit group. That contrasts sharply with laboratory estimates, which assumed a three-quarters decrease in emissions.

Researchers examined data from in-vehicle energy use meters of 800,000 cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than official estimates, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while official figures are falling,” stated a senior researcher participating in the study. “This gap is widening and poses a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as much as petrol vehicles.”

Key Factors Driving the Emissions Gap

Analysts attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of kilometers driven in electric power relative to total mileage. The team determined that just a quarter of travel was done in electric mode, while lab estimates assumed 84%.

Additionally, when running in electric mode, pollution amounts were well above official projections. This occurred because electric motors were not strong sufficient to function alone, resulting to combustion motors using fossil fuels for almost a third of the travel covered in EV mode.

Policy and Financial Implications

According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled several major automaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with European Union fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs could spend about €500 extra annually in operating costs than would be assumed under laboratory tests.

“The strong claims that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV vehicles are clearly way off the truth,” stated a automotive expert. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and saving money. In reality, PHEVs are little better than standard gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ production, and running expenses.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid cars have recently been drawn again into policy debates as automakers have lobbied the EU to weaken CO₂ targets. A proposed prohibition on new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive industry and opposition from EU countries with significant automotive manufacturing.

Several high-level politicians have proposed PHEVs as a potential “flexibility” option to introduce in the regulation.

An external energy economics expert, who was not involved with the study, called the report a “very useful addition” after years in which segments of the automotive sector claimed there was too little information to accurately evaluate real-world CO2 output.

“The results show, without question, that the gap between official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is much, much larger than for petrol or conventional cars,” the expert stated. “All regulatory changes concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme care and considering this data.”