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Plug-in hybrid cars produce nearly five times greater global warming emissions than lab-reported figures indicate, as per a recent report.

Widening Discrepancy Between Lab and Real-World Emissions

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release just one-fifth less CO₂ than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to analysis conducted by a non-profit group. This differs sharply with laboratory estimates, which assumed a 75% reduction in pollution.

Analysts studied information from onboard energy use meters of eight hundred thousand cars registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official estimates, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are increasing, while lab-reported emissions are falling,” said a senior researcher participating in the report. “That gap is growing and poses a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol cars.”

Primary Reasons Driving the Emissions Gap

Analysts attributed most of the gap to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers driven in battery mode compared to overall mileage. They found that just 27% of driving was done in EV mode, while official assumptions suggested over four-fifths.

Even, when running in electric mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than lab projections. That occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function independently, leading to engines using fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the travel completed in EV mode.

Policy and Economic Consequences

According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled several large automaker companies to escape over €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing adherence with European Union average fleet CO₂ standards.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would pay about €500 more annually in operating costs than would be estimated under lab tests.

“The strong statements that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are clearly far from the truth,” stated a transport analyst. “Buyers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ production, and running expenses.”

Policy Discussion and Industry Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn back into political debates as carmakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ standards. A planned ban on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive sector and resistance from EU countries with significant automotive industries.

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

One independent energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the report a “highly valuable addition” after a long period in which segments of the car industry argued there was too little data to properly evaluate real-world CO2 output.

“The results demonstrate, without question, that the difference between official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is significantly larger than for petrol or conventional cars,” they said. “All regulatory adjustments concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and in the light of that data.”