Plug in Hybrid Cars Pollute Nearly as Much as Gasoline Cars, Study Finds
Plug-in hybrid cars produce nearly five times more planet-heating pollution than official figures indicate, as per a recent report.
Growing Discrepancy Between Official and Actual CO2 Output
Statistics shows that PHEVs release just 19% lower CO2 than traditional petrol and diesel cars, according to analysis conducted by a non-profit group. That contrasts significantly with lab estimates, which assumed a 75% reduction in pollution.
Researchers studied information from onboard fuel consumption monitors of eight hundred thousand vehicles sold in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO2 emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than lab figures, up from 3.5 times in 2021.
“Real-world CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported emissions are decreasing,” stated a lead analyst participating in the study. “This discrepancy is widening and poses a significant problem. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol cars.”
Primary Reasons Behind the Discrepancy
Analysts attributed the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of miles driven in battery power compared to total distance. The team found that just a quarter of driving was completed in EV mode, while official estimates suggested over four-fifths.
Additionally, when running in EV mode, emission amounts were well above official estimates. This occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function alone, leading to engines using gasoline for almost a third of the distance completed in electric mode.
Regulatory and Economic Consequences
According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled four large automaker groups to escape over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with European Union average fleet CO2 targets.
Additionally, owners of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 extra annually in running expenses than would be assumed under lab conditions.
“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are clearly far from the truth,” commented a transport analyst. “Buyers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO2 emissions, and operating expenses.”
Policy Discussion and Industry Pressure
Hybrid cars have recently been drawn back into policy debates as carmakers have lobbied the European Union to relax CO2 targets. A proposed prohibition on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive sector and opposition from EU countries with significant automotive industries.
Several high-level politicians have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” option to include in the legislation.
One external energy policy expert, who was not involved with the research, called the analysis a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which parts of the car sector claimed there was too little information to properly evaluate actual emissions.
“These findings demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the gap in lab and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is significantly greater than for petrol or diesel cars,” they stated. “All regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with utmost caution and in the light of this data.”
