🔗 Share this article Plug-in Hybrid Cars Pollute Nearly as Heavily as Petrol Cars, Report Reveals Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles emit almost 5x more global warming emissions than lab-reported figures show, as per a recent analysis. Growing Discrepancy Between Official and Actual Emissions Statistics reveals that PHEVs release just 19% lower CO2 than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to research conducted by a advocacy organization. That differs sharply with lab estimates, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in pollution. Analysts examined information from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 vehicles sold in Europe from 2021 and 2023. The team found that actual CO2 emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than lab figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021. “Real-world CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported figures are falling,” said a senior researcher participating in the study. “That discrepancy is growing and creates a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as petrol vehicles.” Key Reasons Behind the Discrepancy Analysts linked most of the difference to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers driven in battery power compared to total mileage. The team determined that just 27% of driving was completed in electric mode, whereas lab assumptions suggested over four-fifths. Additionally, when operating in EV mode, pollution amounts were well above lab projections. This happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function alone, resulting to combustion motors burning gasoline for almost a third of the travel completed in EV mode. Regulatory and Financial Consequences According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output allowed several major carmaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying compliance with European Union average fleet CO2 targets. Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could spend about €500 extra per year in operating expenses than is estimated under laboratory tests. “The strong claims that automakers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are little better than standard gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO2 production, and operating costs.” Policy Debate and Industry Lobbying Plug-in hybrid vehicles have recently been brought again into political debates as automakers have pressed the European Union to weaken CO2 targets. A planned ban on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive sector and opposition from member states with significant car manufacturing. Some high-level officials have suggested plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” option to introduce in the regulation. One independent energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the report a “very useful addition” after a long period in which segments of the automotive sector claimed there was too little information to properly assess real-world CO2 output. “These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the gap in official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is significantly greater than for petrol or conventional vehicles,” they said. “All policy adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with utmost caution and in the light of this data.”