Plug-in Hybrid electric Cars Pollute Nearly as Much as Gasoline Cars, Report Finds
Plug-in hybrid cars emit nearly five times more global warming emissions than official data show, according to a recent analysis.
Growing Discrepancy Between Official and Real-World Emissions
Statistics reveals that PHEVs release only 19% lower CO2 than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to research carried out by a non-profit group. This contrasts significantly with lab tests, which assumed a three-quarters decrease in emissions.
Researchers examined information from in-vehicle energy use monitors of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO2 emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than official estimates, increased from three and a half times in 2021.
“Actual emissions are rising, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a lead analyst participating in the report. “That gap is growing and poses a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute nearly as much as petrol vehicles.”
Primary Reasons Driving the Emissions Gap
Researchers linked most of the difference to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in battery power relative to overall distance. They determined that only a quarter of driving was completed in EV mode, while official assumptions assumed 84%.
Even, when operating in EV mode, emission levels were well above official projections. This occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function independently, resulting to engines using gasoline for nearly a third of the travel covered in electric mode.
Regulatory and Economic Implications
Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed several large carmaker companies to escape more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing compliance with European Union fleet-average CO2 targets.
Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 more per year in running expenses than would be estimated under laboratory tests.
“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are clearly far from the mark,” stated a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being duped into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the environment and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly improved than standard petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO2 emissions, and operating expenses.”
Policy Debate and Automotive Lobbying
Plug-in hybrid cars have recently been drawn back into political debates as automakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO2 standards. A planned ban on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the automotive industry and resistance from member states with significant car manufacturing.
Several high-level politicians have suggested PHEVs as a potential “flexibility” solution to introduce in the legislation.
An external energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, described the analysis a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which segments of the car sector argued there was insufficient information to accurately evaluate actual CO2 output.
“The results show, without question, that the difference in official and actual PHEV energy use and CO2 emissions is significantly larger than for gasoline or conventional cars,” they stated. “All policy adjustments concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme care and considering this data.”