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PHEVs produce almost five times greater global warming pollution than lab-reported figures indicate, as per a recent analysis.

Widening Gap Between Official and Actual Emissions

Data reveals that PHEVs emit just one-fifth less CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel cars, based on analysis carried out by a advocacy group. That differs significantly with lab tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.

Researchers studied data from in-vehicle energy use meters of eight hundred thousand cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab figures, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are rising, while lab-reported emissions are decreasing,” said a senior researcher participating in the study. “This gap is growing and creates a serious problem. Consequently, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as petrol cars.”

Primary Factors Driving the Discrepancy

Researchers linked most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers travelled in battery mode compared to total mileage. The team found that just a quarter of travel was completed in EV mode, whereas official assumptions assumed over four-fifths.

Even, when operating in EV mode, emission amounts were significantly higher than lab estimates. This occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to operate alone, resulting to engines burning fossil fuels for almost a third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Regulatory and Financial Implications

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled several large automaker groups to escape over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 extra annually in operating costs than is estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are clearly far from the truth,” stated a transport analyst. “Buyers are being duped into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly improved than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Political Debate and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have lately been brought again into policy debates as carmakers have pressed the European Union to weaken CO₂ targets. A proposed prohibition on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with large car manufacturing.

Some senior officials have suggested plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” solution to include in the regulation.

An external energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after years in which parts of the car industry claimed there was too little information to accurately assess actual emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap in official and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is much, much larger than for gasoline or conventional vehicles,” the expert stated. “All policy changes regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and considering that data.”