Plug in Hybrid Cars Emit Nearly as Much as Gasoline Cars, Study Reveals
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles produce nearly five times more global warming emissions than official figures indicate, as per a recent analysis.
Growing Gap In Lab and Real-World Emissions
Data reveals that PHEVs release just 19% lower CO2 than traditional gas and diesel cars, according to analysis conducted by a advocacy organization. That differs sharply with laboratory tests, which suggested a 75% reduction in emissions.
Analysts studied data from in-vehicle energy use meters of 800,000 cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that actual CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than official figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.
“Real-world emissions are rising, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a lead researcher involved in the study. “This gap is growing and poses a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute nearly as heavily as gasoline cars.”
Key Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap
Analysts attributed the majority of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers driven in electric mode compared to overall mileage. The team found that only a quarter of travel was done in EV mode, while official estimates suggested 84%.
Even, when running in EV mode, pollution amounts were well above official projections. That happened because EV motors were not strong enough to function independently, leading to combustion motors burning gasoline for almost a third of the travel covered in EV mode.
Policy and Financial Implications
Based on calculations, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output allowed several major automaker companies to avoid over €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with EU fleet-average CO2 standards.
Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would pay about €500 more per year in running costs than would be assumed under laboratory conditions.
“The strong claims that automakers often promote about their PHEV vehicles are clearly far from the truth,” stated a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being duped into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving costs. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly improved than standard gas and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel use, CO2 emissions, and running expenses.”
Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying
Hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn again into policy debates as automakers have pressed the European Union to weaken CO2 targets. A proposed ban on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car sector and resistance from EU countries with significant automotive manufacturing.
Several high-level politicians have proposed PHEVs as a potential “flexibility” solution to include in the legislation.
An external energy policy expert, who was not involved with the research, described the report a “highly valuable addition” after years in which parts of the automotive sector claimed there was insufficient information to accurately assess real-world emissions.
“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the gap between official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is much, much greater than for gasoline or conventional vehicles,” they said. “Any policy adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and considering this evidence.”