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Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles emit almost 5x greater global warming emissions than lab-reported figures show, as per a recent report.

Growing Gap In Official and Real-World Emissions

Data reveals that PHEVs release just one-fifth less CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on analysis conducted by a advocacy group. This contrasts sharply with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% decrease in emissions.

Analysts studied information from in-vehicle energy use monitors of eight hundred thousand cars registered in Europe from 2021 and 2023. The team found that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are increasing, while official emissions are falling,” said a lead analyst involved in the report. “That discrepancy is widening and poses a significant problem. As a result, PHEVs pollute almost as much as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Factors Behind the Discrepancy

Researchers linked the majority of the difference to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of miles travelled in battery power compared to total mileage. They found that just a quarter of travel was done in EV mode, whereas lab estimates assumed over four-fifths.

Even, when operating in electric mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than official estimates. This happened because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function alone, leading to combustion motors burning gasoline for almost one-third of the travel completed in EV mode.

Policy and Economic Consequences

Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV emissions enabled several major automaker groups to avoid over €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with European Union average fleet CO₂ standards.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs could pay approximately €500 extra per year in operating expenses than would be estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are clearly way off the truth,” stated a transport analyst. “Buyers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are little improved than regular petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Political Debate and Industry Pressure

Hybrid cars have recently been brought again into policy discussions as automakers have lobbied the EU to weaken CO₂ standards. A proposed ban on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive sector and resistance from EU countries with large car industries.

Several senior officials have proposed PHEVs as a possible “flexibility” option to introduce in the regulation.

One independent energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, described the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after years in which parts of the car industry claimed there was insufficient data to accurately assess actual emissions.

“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the gap in official and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ output is significantly larger than for petrol or diesel cars,” they said. “Any policy adjustments concerning PHEVs should be implemented with utmost care and considering this evidence.”