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Plug-in hybrid cars produce nearly 5x greater global warming emissions than lab-reported figures indicate, as per a recent report.

Widening Discrepancy In Official and Real-World CO2 Output

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only one-fifth less CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel cars, according to research conducted by a non-profit organization. This contrasts sharply with lab tests, which assumed a 75% reduction in pollution.

Researchers studied information from onboard fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 vehicles sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They found that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than lab figures, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while official figures are falling,” stated a senior researcher participating in the study. “This gap is widening and creates a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as much as petrol vehicles.”

Key Factors Driving the Emissions Gap

Researchers attributed the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of kilometers travelled in battery power relative to total distance. They determined that just 27% of travel was completed in EV mode, while official estimates suggested over four-fifths.

Even, when operating in electric mode, emission amounts were well above lab projections. That happened because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to operate alone, leading to combustion motors burning fossil fuels for nearly a third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Regulatory and Economic Implications

Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed several large automaker companies to escape more than €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying compliance with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 extra per year in running expenses than is estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold claims that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are obviously far from the truth,” commented a transport analyst. “Buyers are being misled into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and cutting costs. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ production, and operating costs.”

Political Debate and Industry Pressure

Hybrid cars have lately been drawn again into political debates as carmakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO₂ targets. A planned ban on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car sector and resistance from EU countries with large car manufacturing.

Several senior officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” option to introduce in the regulation.

One external energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the report a “very useful contribution” after years in which parts of the car industry argued there was insufficient information to accurately evaluate actual CO2 output.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the difference between lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is significantly larger than for gasoline or diesel vehicles,” they said. “All policy adjustments concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme care and considering that data.”