Plug in Hybrid Cars Emit Almost as Much as Petrol Cars, Study Finds
Plug-in hybrid cars release nearly 5x more global warming pollution than official figures indicate, as per a new report.
Widening Gap In Lab and Real-World CO2 Output
Statistics reveals that PHEVs emit only one-fifth lower CO2 than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to analysis carried out by a advocacy group. This differs sharply with lab tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.
Analysts examined information from onboard fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team found that actual CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than lab figures, increased from three and a half times in 2021.
“Real-world CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported figures are decreasing,” stated a lead researcher participating in the study. “This discrepancy is growing and poses a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute nearly as much as gasoline cars.”
Primary Factors Behind the Discrepancy
Researchers attributed the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers driven in battery power compared to overall mileage. They found that just 27% of travel was completed in EV mode, whereas official assumptions assumed over four-fifths.
Additionally, when running in EV mode, pollution levels were well above lab estimates. That happened because EV motors were not strong enough to operate independently, resulting to combustion motors using fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the distance completed in EV mode.
Policy and Economic Implications
According to estimates, the lowballing of PHEV emissions allowed four major carmaker companies to escape over €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with European Union average fleet CO2 targets.
Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could pay approximately €500 more per year in operating costs than is assumed under lab conditions.
“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are clearly way off the truth,” commented a transport analyst. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, and operating costs.”
Political Debate and Industry Pressure
Hybrid cars have recently been drawn again into political discussions as carmakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO2 standards. A planned ban on sales of new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive industry and resistance from member states with large automotive industries.
Some senior officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “compromise” solution to introduce in the legislation.
One independent energy policy expert, who was not involved with the research, called the analysis a “very useful addition” after a long period in which parts of the automotive industry argued there was insufficient information to properly evaluate real-world CO2 output.
“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the difference in lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO2 emissions is much, much greater than for gasoline or conventional cars,” the expert said. “Any regulatory changes regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and in the light of this data.”
