🔗 Share this article Plug-in Hybrid electric Vehicles Emit Almost as Much as Gasoline Cars, Study Reveals Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release nearly five times more planet-heating emissions than lab-reported data show, as per a recent analysis. Growing Discrepancy In Lab and Real-World Emissions Statistics shows that PHEVs emit just one-fifth lower CO2 than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to analysis conducted by a non-profit organization. This contrasts significantly with laboratory estimates, which assumed a three-quarters decrease in pollution. Researchers studied data from onboard fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe from 2021 and 2023. They discovered that real-world CO2 emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than lab figures, up from 3.5 times in 2021. “Real-world CO2 output are rising, while official emissions are decreasing,” stated a senior researcher involved in the report. “That discrepancy is growing and poses a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as petrol cars.” Primary Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap Analysts attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of kilometers travelled in electric power compared to overall distance. They found that just a quarter of driving was done in EV mode, whereas official assumptions assumed over four-fifths. Even, when running in electric mode, emission levels were well above official projections. This occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function alone, leading to engines using fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the travel completed in EV mode. Regulatory and Financial Implications Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled four major automaker groups to avoid over €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with EU fleet-average CO2 targets. Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would spend about €500 more annually in running costs than would be estimated under lab conditions. “The strong claims that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously way off the truth,” stated a automotive expert. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly improved than standard gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO2 emissions, and operating expenses.” Political Debate and Automotive Lobbying Plug-in hybrid cars have lately been brought again into political discussions as automakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO2 standards. A planned prohibition on new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the car sector and resistance from member states with significant car manufacturing. Several senior officials have suggested PHEVs as a possible “flexibility” solution to introduce in the legislation. One external energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the analysis a “very useful addition” after years in which parts of the automotive sector claimed there was too little data to properly assess actual emissions. “These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap in official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is significantly larger than for gasoline or conventional vehicles,” the expert stated. “All regulatory changes concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and considering that data.”