🔗 Share this article

PHEVs emit nearly five times greater planet-heating pollution than lab-reported data show, according to a recent report.

Growing Gap In Official and Actual Emissions

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release just one-fifth less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, according to analysis carried out by a non-profit organization. That contrasts sharply with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% reduction in pollution.

Analysts examined data from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 cars registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than official figures, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are increasing, while official emissions are decreasing,” stated a senior researcher participating in the study. “That gap is growing and creates a significant problem. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as much as gasoline vehicles.”

Key Reasons Driving the Discrepancy

Analysts attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of miles travelled in battery power relative to overall distance. The team found that only 27% of driving was completed in electric mode, whereas official estimates suggested over four-fifths.

Additionally, when running in EV mode, pollution amounts were significantly higher than official estimates. This happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function alone, resulting to combustion motors using fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the distance covered in electric mode.

Regulatory and Financial Implications

According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled four major automaker companies to escape over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 more per year in running costs than would be assumed under laboratory conditions.

“The bold statements that automakers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are obviously way off the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being misled into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and saving money. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel use, CO₂ production, and running expenses.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have recently been drawn back into policy debates as automakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO₂ targets. A proposed prohibition on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with large automotive manufacturing.

Several senior officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “compromise” solution to include in the regulation.

One independent energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after a long period in which segments of the car industry claimed there was too little information to properly assess actual emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap in official and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for gasoline or conventional cars,” the expert said. “Any regulatory changes regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme care and in the light of that evidence.”