Plug in Hybrid electric Cars Emit Nearly as Heavily as Gasoline Vehicles, Study Reveals

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles produce nearly 5x greater planet-heating pollution than official figures show, as per a recent report.

Widening Discrepancy Between Official and Actual Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit just 19% lower CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel cars, based on research conducted by a advocacy group. That contrasts sharply with lab estimates, which assumed a three-quarters decrease in pollution.

Researchers studied data from onboard energy use monitors of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than official estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are increasing, while official emissions are falling,” stated a lead analyst participating in the study. “This gap is widening and poses a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute nearly as much as gasoline vehicles.”

Key Reasons Driving the Emissions Gap

Researchers attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in electric power compared to overall mileage. They found that only 27% of travel was done in electric mode, while official estimates assumed 84%.

Even, when operating in electric mode, emission amounts were well above official projections. That occurred because EV motors were not strong enough to operate alone, leading to combustion motors using gasoline for nearly a third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Regulatory and Financial Consequences

Based on calculations, the lowballing of PHEV emissions enabled four major carmaker companies to escape over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with European Union fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could pay approximately €500 extra annually in operating costs than is assumed under laboratory tests.

“The strong claims that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are clearly way off the mark,” commented a transport expert. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are little improved than standard gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ production, and running costs.”

Political Discussion and Industry Lobbying

Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been brought back into political debates as carmakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO₂ standards. A proposed prohibition on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive sector and resistance from EU countries with significant car industries.

Several high-level politicians have suggested PHEVs as a possible “compromise” option to include in the regulation.

An independent energy policy specialist, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the analysis a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which segments of the car sector argued there was insufficient data to accurately assess real-world CO2 output.

“The results show, without question, that the gap between official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is significantly larger than for gasoline or diesel cars,” they said. “All policy adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with utmost care and considering this data.”