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PHEVs release nearly five times greater planet-heating emissions than official figures show, according to a recent analysis.

Widening Discrepancy In Official and Actual Emissions

Data reveals that PHEVs release only one-fifth less CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel cars, according to analysis conducted by a non-profit group. This differs sharply with lab estimates, which suggested a three-quarters reduction in pollution.

Analysts studied information from in-vehicle fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported emissions are decreasing,” stated a lead analyst involved in the report. “That gap is widening and creates a significant problem. Consequently, PHEVs emit nearly as heavily as gasoline vehicles.”

Key Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers linked most of the difference to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of miles travelled in electric power relative to overall distance. The team found that just 27% of travel was completed in EV mode, while lab assumptions assumed 84%.

Even, when operating in EV mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than official estimates. This happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function independently, resulting to engines burning fossil fuels for almost one-third of the distance covered in EV mode.

Regulatory and Economic Implications

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

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would pay about €500 more per year in running expenses than is assumed under laboratory conditions.

“The strong claims that manufacturers often promote about their plug-in hybrid cars are clearly way off the truth,” commented a automotive expert. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and cutting costs. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly improved than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions, and operating expenses.”

Political Debate and Industry Pressure

Plug-in hybrid cars have lately been brought back into political discussions as carmakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ targets. A proposed prohibition on sales of new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the automotive sector and opposition from member states with significant car industries.

Some senior politicians have proposed PHEVs as a possible “flexibility” option to introduce in the regulation.

One independent energy policy expert, who was not involved with the study, described the analysis a “very useful addition” after a long period in which parts of the automotive sector argued there was insufficient information to properly evaluate real-world emissions.

“These findings show, without question, that the difference between lab and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is significantly larger than for petrol or conventional cars,” the expert said. “Any policy changes regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and considering this evidence.”