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Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles emit nearly 5x more planet-heating pollution than official figures indicate, as per a recent analysis.

Widening Discrepancy In Official and Real-World Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs release just one-fifth lower CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel cars, according to analysis carried out by a advocacy organization. This differs significantly with lab tests, which suggested a three-quarters decrease in pollution.

Analysts studied data from in-vehicle energy use meters of eight hundred thousand cars registered in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than lab estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a senior analyst participating in the study. “That discrepancy is growing and creates a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as much as gasoline cars.”

Key Factors Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts attributed the majority of the difference to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of kilometers driven in electric mode compared to overall mileage. They determined that only a quarter of travel was completed in electric mode, while official assumptions assumed over four-fifths.

Even, when running in electric mode, emission levels were significantly higher than official projections. This happened because EV motors were not strong enough to function independently, resulting to engines using fossil fuels for nearly a third of the distance covered in electric mode.

Policy and Economic Consequences

According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions allowed several major automaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying compliance with EU average fleet CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs could pay approximately €500 extra annually in operating expenses than is estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold claims that automakers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are clearly far from the mark,” commented a transport expert. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and cutting costs. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ production, and running expenses.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid cars have recently been brought again into political discussions as automakers have pressed the European Union to weaken CO₂ standards. A proposed ban on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the automotive industry and resistance from member states with significant car industries.

Some senior officials have proposed PHEVs as a potential “flexibility” option to introduce in the legislation.

One independent energy policy specialist, who was not involved with the research, called the analysis a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which parts of the automotive sector claimed there was insufficient information to properly assess actual emissions.

“The results show, beyond any doubt, that the difference between official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is significantly greater than for petrol or conventional vehicles,” they stated. “All regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and in the light of that data.”