🔗 Share this article Plug-in Hybrid Cars Emit Nearly as Much as Gasoline Cars, Study Reveals Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles produce almost five times more planet-heating emissions than official figures indicate, as per a recent report. Growing Discrepancy In Official and Real-World Emissions Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only 19% less CO2 than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, based on research conducted by a advocacy organization. That contrasts significantly with laboratory tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution. Researchers examined information from onboard fuel consumption meters of 800,000 cars registered in the EU from 2021 and 2023. They discovered that actual CO2 emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than lab figures, up from three and a half times in 2021. “Real-world emissions are rising, while official emissions are falling,” stated a senior analyst participating in the study. “This discrepancy is growing and poses a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute nearly as much as petrol vehicles.” Key Factors Driving the Discrepancy Analysts linked the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers driven in electric power compared to total distance. The team found that only a quarter of driving was done in electric mode, while official estimates suggested over four-fifths. Even, when operating in electric mode, pollution amounts were well above lab projections. This occurred because EV motors were not strong sufficient to operate alone, leading to engines using fossil fuels for almost a third of the distance covered in EV mode. Policy and Economic Implications Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled four major automaker companies to avoid over €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with EU fleet-average CO2 targets. Additionally, owners of PHEVs would spend about €500 extra annually in operating costs than is estimated under lab tests. “The bold statements that automakers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” stated a transport expert. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving costs. Actually, PHEVs are little improved than regular gas and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO2 production, and running costs.” Policy Debate and Industry Lobbying Plug-in hybrid vehicles have recently been brought again into political discussions as automakers have pressed the European Union to weaken CO2 standards. A planned ban on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with large car industries. Several senior officials have suggested plug-in hybrids as a possible “flexibility” option to introduce in the legislation. An independent energy economics specialist, who was not involved with the research, described the report a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which parts of the car industry claimed there was insufficient information to properly evaluate actual CO2 output. “The results show, beyond any doubt, that the difference in official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is much, much larger than for petrol or conventional cars,” they said. “All policy adjustments concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme care and considering this data.”