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PHEVs produce almost five times more planet-heating pollution than lab-reported data show, as per a recent analysis.

Growing Discrepancy In Official and Real-World Emissions

Data reveals that PHEVs release just 19% lower CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel vehicles, based on analysis carried out by a non-profit group. That differs sharply with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% decrease in pollution.

Researchers examined information from onboard fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 cars registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab figures, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while official figures are decreasing,” said a lead researcher involved in the report. “This gap is widening and poses a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs emit nearly as much as petrol vehicles.”

Key Reasons Driving the Discrepancy

Researchers attributed most of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of kilometers driven in battery mode compared to overall distance. The team determined that only 27% of travel was completed in EV mode, while official assumptions assumed 84%.

Even, when operating in electric mode, pollution amounts were well above lab estimates. That occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function independently, resulting to engines burning gasoline for almost one-third of the travel completed in electric mode.

Policy and Financial Implications

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV emissions allowed several major automaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with EU fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 more annually in operating costs than would be assumed under laboratory tests.

“The bold statements that automakers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are clearly far from the truth,” stated a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ production, and running expenses.”

Political Debate and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn back into policy discussions as carmakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO₂ targets. A planned ban on sales of new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive sector and opposition from EU countries with large car manufacturing.

Some senior officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” option to include in the legislation.

An independent energy policy expert, who was not involved with the research, called the report a “very useful addition” after years in which parts of the car industry claimed there was too little information to properly assess actual emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap between official and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is significantly greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” they said. “Any regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with utmost caution and in the light of this data.”