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PHEVs produce almost 5x greater global warming pollution than official data indicate, as per a recent report.

Widening Gap In Lab and Actual Emissions

Data reveals that PHEVs emit only 19% lower CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel cars, according to analysis conducted by a advocacy group. That differs significantly with lab tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in emissions.

Researchers examined information from onboard energy use meters of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe from 2021 and 2023. The team found that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are increasing, while official figures are decreasing,” stated a lead analyst involved in the report. “That gap is growing and poses a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol cars.”

Key Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap

Analysts linked most of the difference to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of kilometers driven in electric mode relative to overall mileage. They determined that only 27% of driving was completed in electric mode, while official assumptions suggested over four-fifths.

Additionally, when operating in electric mode, emission amounts were well above official projections. That occurred because EV motors were not strong sufficient to function alone, resulting to engines burning fossil fuels for nearly a third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Policy and Economic Consequences

Based on calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled four major automaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with EU average fleet CO₂ targets.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs could spend about €500 extra annually in running expenses than would be assumed under laboratory conditions.

“The strong statements that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are obviously far from the mark,” stated a transport expert. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and saving money. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions, and running costs.”

Policy Discussion and Industry Pressure

Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn back into policy discussions as carmakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO₂ standards. A planned prohibition on new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car sector and opposition from member states with significant automotive manufacturing.

Some senior politicians have suggested PHEVs as a potential “flexibility” solution to include in the legislation.

One independent energy policy specialist, who was unaffiliated with the study, described the report a “very useful contribution” after years in which segments of the automotive sector argued there was insufficient information to accurately assess real-world emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the difference in lab and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is significantly larger than for petrol or conventional cars,” they stated. “All regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with utmost care and in the light of that data.”