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PHEVs produce almost 5x greater planet-heating pollution than official data show, as per a recent analysis.

Widening Gap In Official and Actual CO2 Output

Data shows that PHEVs emit just 19% less CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel cars, based on analysis conducted by a advocacy organization. This contrasts sharply with lab estimates, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.

Analysts studied information from onboard fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab figures, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are increasing, while official emissions are decreasing,” said a lead analyst participating in the study. “This discrepancy is growing and creates a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute almost as heavily as gasoline cars.”

Primary Reasons Driving the Discrepancy

Analysts linked the majority of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in battery power compared to total mileage. The team determined that only a quarter of driving was completed in EV mode, while official assumptions suggested 84%.

Even, when running in electric mode, pollution amounts were well above official estimates. That happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function alone, leading to engines burning gasoline for nearly one-third of the distance completed in EV mode.

Policy and Financial Implications

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed several major automaker groups to escape more than €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying adherence with European Union average fleet CO₂ standards.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs could pay about €500 more per year in operating costs than is estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are clearly way off the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being duped into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and cutting money. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO₂ emissions, and running costs.”

Political Debate and Industry Lobbying

Hybrid vehicles have lately been brought back into policy debates as automakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ standards. A planned prohibition on new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car industry and opposition from member states with significant car industries.

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

An independent energy economics expert, who was not involved with the study, called the report a “very useful addition” after a long period in which parts of the car sector argued there was insufficient data to accurately assess real-world emissions.

“The results show, without question, that the difference between lab and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for petrol or diesel cars,” they said. “Any policy changes concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and considering that data.”