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PHEVs release nearly five times greater planet-heating emissions than lab-reported data indicate, as per a recent report.

Widening Discrepancy In Official and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics shows that PHEVs release just one-fifth less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel cars, based on research conducted by a non-profit organization. That contrasts sharply with lab tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in emissions.

Researchers examined information from onboard fuel consumption monitors of eight hundred thousand vehicles sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than official figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while official emissions are falling,” stated a senior analyst involved in the study. “That discrepancy is widening and poses a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs emit nearly as heavily as gasoline cars.”

Key Factors Driving the Discrepancy

Researchers linked the majority of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles driven in battery power relative to overall mileage. The team found that only a quarter of travel was done in EV mode, while lab estimates assumed over four-fifths.

Even, when operating in electric mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than lab projections. This occurred because EV motors were not strong sufficient to function independently, resulting to engines burning gasoline for nearly a third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Policy and Financial Consequences

According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions allowed several large carmaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs would pay about €500 more per year in running costs than would be estimated under lab tests.

“The bold claims that automakers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are clearly way off the truth,” stated a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are little improved than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ production, and operating costs.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have recently been drawn back into political discussions as automakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO₂ standards. A proposed ban on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with significant automotive industries.

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

One independent energy economics expert, who was not involved with the research, described the report a “highly valuable contribution” after a long period in which parts of the car sector claimed there was too little information to properly evaluate real-world emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap between official and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for gasoline or conventional cars,” they stated. “Any policy adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and in the light of this data.”