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PHEVs emit almost 5x more global warming pollution than official data indicate, as per a recent report.

Widening Discrepancy Between Lab and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics reveals that PHEVs emit only 19% less CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel vehicles, based on analysis carried out by a non-profit group. That differs significantly with laboratory estimates, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in pollution.

Analysts studied data from onboard fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are increasing, while official figures are decreasing,” said a senior researcher participating in the report. “That discrepancy is growing and poses a serious problem. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as much as gasoline cars.”

Primary Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers linked most of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of miles driven in electric mode relative to overall distance. They determined that only 27% of travel was completed in EV mode, whereas lab estimates assumed 84%.

Additionally, when operating in EV mode, emission amounts were significantly higher than official estimates. This happened because EV motors were not strong sufficient to function independently, leading to engines burning fossil fuels for nearly a third of the travel covered in EV mode.

Policy and Financial Implications

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled several major automaker groups to avoid over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with European Union average fleet CO₂ targets.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 more annually in running expenses than is assumed under laboratory tests.

“The bold statements that automakers often promote about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously way off the mark,” stated a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving costs. Actually, PHEVs are little better than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Policy Discussion and Industry Lobbying

Hybrid vehicles have lately been brought again into policy discussions as carmakers have lobbied the EU to weaken CO₂ standards. A proposed ban on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the car industry and opposition from EU countries with large automotive manufacturing.

Several senior politicians have proposed plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” option to introduce in the regulation.

An independent energy economics specialist, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the report a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which parts of the automotive industry claimed there was too little information to properly evaluate actual CO2 output.

“The results demonstrate, without question, that the gap in official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is much, much larger than for gasoline or conventional vehicles,” the expert said. “All regulatory adjustments concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme care and considering that data.”