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PHEVs emit nearly 5x greater global warming pollution than official figures show, according to a recent report.

Growing Discrepancy In Lab and Real-World Emissions

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release only 19% less CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel vehicles, according to research conducted by a non-profit organization. This contrasts sharply with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% reduction in pollution.

Researchers examined data from onboard fuel consumption monitors of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in the EU from 2021 and 2023. They discovered that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are increasing, while official emissions are falling,” stated a lead analyst participating in the report. “This gap is widening and poses a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as heavily as petrol cars.”

Key Reasons Driving the Discrepancy

Researchers attributed most of the difference to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of kilometers driven in electric mode relative to total distance. The team determined that only a quarter of travel was done in electric mode, while official estimates assumed over four-fifths.

Even, when running in EV mode, pollution levels were well above official estimates. That happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function alone, resulting to combustion motors burning fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the distance covered in electric mode.

Policy and Financial Implications

Based on calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled several major carmaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with European Union fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 more annually in running costs than is estimated under lab tests.

“The bold claims that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are clearly way off the truth,” stated a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being duped into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are little improved than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ production, and running expenses.”

Policy Discussion and Industry Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn again into policy discussions as automakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO₂ targets. A planned ban on sales of new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with large automotive manufacturing.

Some senior officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” option to include in the legislation.

One independent energy policy specialist, who was not involved with the study, described the analysis a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which parts of the automotive industry claimed there was insufficient information to accurately assess actual emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap between official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” they stated. “Any regulatory changes concerning PHEVs should be implemented with utmost care and considering this data.”