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Plug-in hybrid cars release nearly 5x more global warming pollution than official data indicate, as per a new report.

Widening Gap In Lab and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release just one-fifth lower CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to analysis carried out by a non-profit organization. This contrasts sharply with laboratory tests, which assumed a three-quarters decrease in pollution.

Analysts studied information from in-vehicle energy use meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team found that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are increasing, while official emissions are falling,” stated a senior researcher participating in the report. “That gap is widening and poses a significant problem. As a result, PHEVs emit nearly as much as petrol cars.”

Primary Reasons Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts linked the majority of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers travelled in electric mode relative to total mileage. The team determined that only a quarter of driving was completed in EV mode, whereas lab estimates assumed over four-fifths.

Additionally, when operating in electric mode, pollution amounts were well above lab estimates. That happened because EV motors were not strong enough to function alone, leading to combustion motors using fossil fuels for almost a third of the distance covered in electric mode.

Policy and Economic Consequences

Based on calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed four major automaker companies to escape more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would spend about €500 more per year in operating costs than is assumed under lab tests.

“The strong claims that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV vehicles are clearly far from the mark,” commented a automotive expert. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are little improved than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO₂ production, and operating expenses.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid cars have lately been brought back into political discussions as carmakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO₂ targets. A planned prohibition on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and resistance from EU countries with large automotive manufacturing.

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

An independent energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after years in which parts of the car industry claimed there was too little information to properly evaluate actual emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the gap in lab and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is significantly greater than for petrol or conventional vehicles,” the expert said. “Any regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with utmost care and considering this data.”