🔗 Share this article Plug in Hybrid electric Cars Emit Almost as Heavily as Petrol Vehicles, Report Finds Plug-in hybrid cars release nearly five times more global warming emissions than lab-reported data show, as per a recent report. Widening Discrepancy In Lab and Real-World Emissions Data reveals that PHEVs release just 19% less CO2 than conventional gas and diesel cars, according to analysis conducted by a non-profit group. That differs sharply with laboratory tests, which assumed a three-quarters decrease in emissions. Researchers studied data from onboard fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 vehicles sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021. “Actual CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported figures are decreasing,” stated a lead researcher participating in the study. “That discrepancy is growing and poses a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs emit nearly as heavily as petrol vehicles.” Key Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap Researchers attributed the majority of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers driven in electric power relative to overall mileage. The team found that only 27% of driving was completed in electric mode, while official estimates suggested over four-fifths. Additionally, when operating in electric mode, emission levels were well above lab estimates. This happened because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function alone, resulting to combustion motors using gasoline for almost one-third of the travel completed in EV mode. Regulatory and Financial Implications Based on calculations, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled four large carmaker companies to avoid over €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing adherence with European Union average fleet CO2 targets. Additionally, drivers of PHEVs could pay about €500 extra annually in operating costs than is assumed under lab tests. “The strong claims that manufacturers often promote about their plug-in hybrid cars are obviously far from the truth,” stated a transport analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO2 emissions, and running costs.” Policy Debate and Industry Pressure Hybrid cars have lately been brought back into policy discussions as carmakers have pressed the EU to relax CO2 targets. A planned prohibition on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the car industry and opposition from EU countries with significant automotive manufacturing. Several senior politicians have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” option to introduce in the regulation. An independent energy economics specialist, who was not involved with the research, described the report a “very useful contribution” after years in which segments of the automotive sector argued there was too little data to properly assess real-world emissions. “These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the difference between official and real-world PHEV energy use and CO2 output is significantly greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” they said. “Any policy changes concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and in the light of that data.”