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Plug-in hybrid cars release nearly five times greater global warming pollution than official figures indicate, as per a recent report.

Widening Gap In Lab and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only one-fifth lower CO₂ than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to analysis conducted by a non-profit organization. That differs significantly with laboratory tests, which suggested a three-quarters reduction in emissions.

Analysts studied data from onboard energy use meters of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe from 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than lab estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are rising, while official emissions are decreasing,” stated a lead researcher involved in the study. “This discrepancy is widening and creates a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute nearly as heavily as petrol cars.”

Key Factors Driving the Discrepancy

Researchers linked most of the difference to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles travelled in battery mode compared to overall distance. The team found that only 27% of travel was completed in EV mode, whereas lab estimates assumed over four-fifths.

Even, when operating in electric mode, emission levels were well above lab projections. That occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function independently, resulting to engines using gasoline for nearly one-third of the distance covered in EV mode.

Policy and Economic Implications

Based on calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed four large carmaker groups to escape over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing compliance with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would pay about €500 more annually in running costs than is estimated under lab conditions.

“The bold statements that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously far from the mark,” stated a transport expert. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the environment and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are little better than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and operating expenses.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid cars have recently been drawn back into policy debates as automakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO₂ standards. A planned ban on sales of new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car sector and resistance from member states with large automotive industries.

Some high-level officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” solution to introduce in the regulation.

One independent energy policy specialist, who was not involved with the research, described the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after years in which segments of the car sector argued there was insufficient information to properly assess actual emissions.

“The results demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the gap in lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ output is significantly greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” they said. “Any policy adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and in the light of that evidence.”