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PHEVs produce nearly five times more global warming emissions than lab-reported figures show, as per a new report.

Widening Gap In Official and Actual Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs release only one-fifth lower CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, according to analysis conducted by a non-profit group. This contrasts sharply with lab estimates, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in pollution.

Analysts studied data from onboard energy use monitors of eight hundred thousand cars sold in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than official figures, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are rising, while official figures are decreasing,” stated a lead researcher involved in the study. “This gap is widening and creates a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs emit nearly as much as petrol cars.”

Primary Reasons Driving the Discrepancy

Researchers linked most of the difference to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in electric power relative to overall mileage. The team determined that just 27% of travel was done in EV mode, while official assumptions suggested over four-fifths.

Additionally, when operating in electric mode, emission amounts were well above lab projections. That occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to operate independently, leading to engines burning fossil fuels for nearly a third of the distance covered in electric mode.

Regulatory and Financial Consequences

According to estimates, the lowballing of PHEV emissions allowed several major carmaker companies to escape over €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 extra annually in operating costs than would be assumed under lab tests.

“The bold claims that automakers like to make about their PHEV cars are clearly way off the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly improved than standard petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying

Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been brought again into policy debates as automakers have lobbied the European Union to relax CO₂ standards. A proposed ban on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and resistance from EU countries with significant automotive manufacturing.

Several high-level politicians have suggested plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” option to introduce in the legislation.

An external energy economics specialist, who was not involved with the research, called the report a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which segments of the automotive industry claimed there was insufficient data to accurately evaluate real-world CO2 output.

“The results show, beyond any doubt, that the difference between official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is significantly greater than for gasoline or conventional vehicles,” the expert stated. “Any policy adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with utmost care and in the light of this data.”