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PHEVs emit nearly five times more global warming pollution than official figures indicate, as per a new analysis.

Widening Discrepancy In Official and Actual CO2 Output

Data reveals that PHEVs emit just one-fifth less CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on research conducted by a advocacy organization. This contrasts sharply with lab tests, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in emissions.

Researchers studied data from in-vehicle fuel consumption meters of 800,000 cars registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are rising, while lab-reported emissions are decreasing,” stated a senior researcher participating in the report. “That gap is growing and poses a serious problem. As a result, PHEVs pollute nearly as heavily as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Reasons Driving the Discrepancy

Analysts attributed the majority of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers driven in battery mode relative to total mileage. The team determined that just 27% of driving was done in electric mode, while official assumptions suggested 84%.

Additionally, when running in EV mode, pollution levels were well above official projections. This happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function alone, resulting to engines burning gasoline for almost a third of the distance covered in electric mode.

Regulatory and Financial Consequences

Based on calculations, the lowballing of PHEV emissions allowed four major automaker companies to avoid over €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 extra annually in operating costs than is estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold claims that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are clearly far from the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are little better than standard petrol and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO₂ emissions, and operating expenses.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Lobbying

Plug-in hybrid cars have recently been brought back into political discussions as automakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ standards. A proposed ban on new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and opposition from member states with large automotive manufacturing.

Several senior officials have suggested PHEVs as a possible “flexibility” solution to include in the legislation.

One independent energy policy specialist, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the analysis a “very useful addition” after a long period in which segments of the automotive industry claimed there was insufficient information to properly assess real-world CO2 output.

“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the difference in lab and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is much, much larger than for gasoline or diesel vehicles,” the expert said. “Any regulatory adjustments concerning PHEVs should be made with utmost care and in the light of this data.”