🔗 Share this article Plug-in Hybrid Cars Pollute Nearly as Heavily as Petrol Cars, Report Finds Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release nearly five times greater planet-heating emissions than lab-reported figures indicate, according to a recent analysis. Growing Discrepancy Between Lab and Real-World CO2 Output Data reveals that PHEVs emit just one-fifth less CO2 than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on research conducted by a non-profit organization. This contrasts significantly with lab tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution. Researchers examined information from in-vehicle energy use meters of 800,000 vehicles registered in Europe from 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than official estimates, increased from three and a half times in 2021. “Real-world emissions are rising, while official emissions are falling,” stated a senior analyst involved in the study. “This discrepancy is growing and poses a serious problem. As a result, PHEVs emit nearly as heavily as petrol vehicles.” Primary Factors Behind the Emissions Gap Researchers attributed most of the difference to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of kilometers driven in battery mode relative to total distance. The team determined that only 27% of travel was completed in EV mode, while official assumptions suggested 84%. Even, when operating in EV mode, pollution levels were well above official estimates. This occurred because EV motors were not strong enough to operate alone, leading to combustion motors using fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the distance covered in electric mode. Policy and Economic Consequences According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled four large automaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying adherence with European Union average fleet CO2 targets. Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 extra per year in running costs than would be assumed under laboratory tests. “The bold statements that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are clearly far from the mark,” stated a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and cutting money. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly improved than regular petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO2 production, and running costs.” Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been brought again into political discussions as carmakers have lobbied the European Union to relax CO2 targets. A proposed ban on sales of new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the car sector and resistance from EU countries with large car manufacturing. Some senior politicians have proposed PHEVs as a potential “compromise” option to introduce in the regulation. One external energy policy specialist, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after a long period in which segments of the car industry argued there was too little data to properly evaluate real-world CO2 output. “These findings demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the difference between lab and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is much, much greater than for petrol or diesel vehicles,” the expert said. “All regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and considering this evidence.”