🔗 Share this article

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release nearly 5x greater global warming emissions than lab-reported figures show, as per a recent report.

Widening Gap In Official and Real-World CO2 Output

Statistics reveals that PHEVs emit only 19% lower CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, according to analysis carried out by a advocacy group. This contrasts sharply with lab tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.

Analysts studied data from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in the EU from 2021 and 2023. They discovered that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a senior researcher involved in the study. “This gap is growing and creates a significant problem. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol vehicles.”

Key Reasons Behind the Discrepancy

Researchers attributed most of the difference to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in electric power relative to total mileage. The team found that just 27% of driving was done in electric mode, while lab assumptions assumed 84%.

Even, when operating in electric mode, pollution amounts were well above official projections. This occurred because electric motors were not strong sufficient to function independently, resulting to engines using gasoline for nearly a third of the travel covered in electric mode.

Regulatory and Economic Consequences

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV emissions allowed four major automaker groups to escape more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with European Union average fleet CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 extra per year in running expenses than is assumed under lab conditions.

“The strong statements that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” stated a automotive expert. “Buyers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly improved than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ production, and running costs.”

Political Debate and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid vehicles have recently been drawn again into policy debates as automakers have lobbied the EU to relax CO₂ standards. A planned prohibition on new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive sector and opposition from member states with large automotive manufacturing.

Several senior officials have suggested PHEVs as a potential “compromise” solution to include in the regulation.

One independent energy economics specialist, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after years in which segments of the automotive sector argued there was too little data to properly assess real-world CO2 output.

“The results show, without question, that the difference in lab and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is much, much larger than for gasoline or diesel cars,” the expert said. “Any policy changes concerning PHEVs should be implemented with utmost care and in the light of this evidence.”