🔗 Share this article Plug-in Hybrid electric Cars Pollute Almost as Much as Gasoline Cars, Report Finds Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles produce nearly five times greater planet-heating pollution than lab-reported figures indicate, as per a new analysis. Widening Discrepancy In Official and Actual Emissions Data reveals that PHEVs release only 19% less CO2 than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on research carried out by a advocacy group. That differs significantly with lab estimates, which suggested a three-quarters reduction in emissions. Analysts studied information from onboard energy use meters of 800,000 cars registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than lab estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021. “Actual CO2 output are increasing, while lab-reported emissions are falling,” stated a lead analyst involved in the report. “This gap is widening and creates a serious problem. Consequently, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol vehicles.” Key Reasons Behind the Discrepancy Analysts linked most of the difference to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in battery power compared to total mileage. They found that only 27% of driving was done in electric mode, whereas official estimates suggested 84%. Even, when operating in electric mode, emission amounts were significantly higher than lab projections. This happened because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function alone, resulting to engines burning gasoline for almost a third of the travel covered in electric mode. Policy and Economic Consequences According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed four large automaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying compliance with EU average fleet CO2 standards. Additionally, owners of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 extra annually in operating costs than would be assumed under lab conditions. “The bold statements that manufacturers often promote about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are clearly far from the truth,” commented a transport expert. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are little improved than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO2 emissions, and running costs.” Policy Debate and Automotive Lobbying Hybrid cars have lately been drawn again into political discussions as carmakers have pressed the EU to relax CO2 targets. A proposed prohibition on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and resistance from EU countries with significant car industries. Several senior politicians have proposed plug-in hybrids as a possible “flexibility” solution to include in the legislation. An independent energy economics specialist, who was unaffiliated with the study, described the report a “very useful addition” after years in which parts of the car industry claimed there was too little information to accurately evaluate actual emissions. “The results show, without question, that the difference in lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO2 emissions is significantly larger than for gasoline or conventional cars,” they said. “Any policy adjustments concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme care and considering that evidence.”