🔗 Share this article

PHEVs release nearly five times more planet-heating emissions than lab-reported figures show, according to a recent report.

Widening Discrepancy In Official and Actual Emissions

Data reveals that PHEVs emit only one-fifth lower CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel cars, according to research conducted by a non-profit group. That contrasts sharply with laboratory estimates, which assumed a 75% reduction in pollution.

Researchers studied information from onboard fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than lab estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while official figures are decreasing,” stated a lead analyst involved in the study. “That gap is widening and poses a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute almost as much as gasoline vehicles.”

Key Reasons Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in electric power compared to overall distance. They determined that only a quarter of driving was done in EV mode, while lab estimates suggested over four-fifths.

Even, when running in electric mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than official projections. This happened because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to operate alone, leading to combustion motors using gasoline for almost one-third of the distance covered in electric mode.

Regulatory and Economic Consequences

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV emissions allowed four major automaker groups to escape over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing adherence with European Union fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would pay about €500 extra annually in running expenses than would be assumed under laboratory tests.

“The bold statements that automakers often promote about their PHEV vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” stated a transport expert. “Buyers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are little better than regular gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO₂ production, and running expenses.”

Political Discussion and Industry Pressure

Hybrid cars have recently been drawn back into political debates as automakers have lobbied the EU to weaken CO₂ targets. A planned prohibition on new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and opposition from member states with large car manufacturing.

Several senior politicians have proposed plug-in hybrids as a possible “flexibility” option to introduce in the legislation.

One independent energy policy specialist, who was not involved with the study, described the report a “very useful contribution” after years in which parts of the automotive industry claimed there was too little information to properly evaluate real-world emissions.

“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the gap between official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for petrol or conventional cars,” they said. “Any regulatory adjustments concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme care and in the light of this evidence.”