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PHEVs release nearly five times more global warming pollution than official figures indicate, as per a new analysis.

Widening Gap In Lab and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics shows that PHEVs release only 19% less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel cars, according to analysis carried out by a advocacy group. This differs significantly with laboratory estimates, which assumed a three-quarters decrease in pollution.

Analysts studied data from onboard energy use meters of 800,000 vehicles sold in Europe from 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official figures, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while official figures are decreasing,” stated a lead researcher participating in the study. “That gap is growing and poses a significant problem. As a result, PHEVs pollute almost as much as petrol cars.”

Key Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap

Analysts attributed the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of miles travelled in battery power compared to total distance. They found that just 27% of travel was done in electric mode, while official estimates suggested 84%.

Even, when operating in EV mode, emission amounts were well above official projections. This happened because electric motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function alone, resulting to combustion motors using gasoline for nearly one-third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Regulatory and Economic Consequences

According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled four large carmaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would pay about €500 extra annually in running costs than would be estimated under lab conditions.

“The bold claims that automakers often promote about their PHEV cars are obviously way off the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and saving costs. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO₂ production, and operating costs.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn again into policy discussions as carmakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO₂ standards. A planned prohibition on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and resistance from member states with large automotive industries.

Some senior politicians have proposed PHEVs as a possible “compromise” option to introduce in the regulation.

One independent energy economics specialist, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the analysis a “very useful addition” after a long period in which parts of the automotive industry argued there was too little information to accurately assess actual CO2 output.

“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the gap in official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is significantly larger than for petrol or conventional cars,” the expert stated. “Any policy adjustments concerning PHEVs should be implemented with utmost care and considering that evidence.”