🔗 Share this article

PHEVs emit nearly 5x greater global warming pollution than lab-reported data indicate, according to a recent report.

Widening Gap In Official and Actual Emissions

Statistics reveals that PHEVs emit only one-fifth lower CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel cars, based on research conducted by a non-profit organization. This differs sharply with laboratory tests, which suggested a 75% decrease in pollution.

Researchers examined information from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team found that actual CO₂ output 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 emissions are falling,” stated a lead researcher involved in the report. “That gap is growing and poses a serious problem. As a result, PHEVs pollute almost as much as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Factors Driving the Discrepancy

Researchers linked most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of miles driven in battery power relative to total distance. The team determined that just 27% of driving was completed in EV mode, whereas lab assumptions suggested 84%.

Even, when operating in electric mode, emission amounts were well above lab projections. That occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful enough to operate independently, resulting to engines using gasoline for nearly one-third of the travel covered in electric mode.

Regulatory and Financial Implications

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled four major automaker companies to escape more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing adherence with European Union fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would spend about €500 more per year in operating expenses than is estimated under lab tests.

“The bold claims that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are clearly way off the mark,” stated a transport expert. “Consumers are being duped into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are little better than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and operating expenses.”

Political Discussion and Industry Pressure

Hybrid cars have lately been drawn again into policy discussions as automakers have lobbied the EU to weaken CO₂ standards. A planned prohibition on new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and opposition from member states with large automotive industries.

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

An independent energy policy specialist, who was not involved with the research, described the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after years in which segments of the automotive sector argued there was too little information to accurately assess real-world emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap in lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for petrol or conventional vehicles,” the expert said. “All policy changes concerning PHEVs should be made with utmost caution and considering that data.”