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PHEVs release nearly 5x greater global warming emissions than lab-reported data indicate, as per a new analysis.

Widening Discrepancy Between Official and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics shows that PHEVs release just one-fifth less CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel vehicles, according to analysis carried out by a advocacy organization. This contrasts significantly with laboratory estimates, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in pollution.

Researchers examined information from in-vehicle fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than lab estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a lead analyst involved in the study. “That discrepancy is widening and poses a significant problem. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as heavily as gasoline cars.”

Key Factors Driving the Discrepancy

Analysts attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers driven in battery power compared to overall distance. They determined that just 27% of travel was done in electric mode, while lab assumptions suggested over four-fifths.

Additionally, when operating in EV mode, pollution levels were well above lab estimates. This occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function alone, resulting to combustion motors using gasoline for almost one-third of the distance covered in electric mode.

Policy and Economic Consequences

According to estimates, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled several large carmaker groups to escape over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with European Union fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs could pay about €500 more annually in running costs than would be assumed under laboratory conditions.

“The bold claims that automakers often promote about their PHEV cars are clearly far from the mark,” commented a automotive expert. “Buyers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly improved than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ production, and running costs.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid cars have recently been brought again into policy debates as carmakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO₂ targets. A proposed prohibition on sales of new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car industry and opposition from EU countries with significant car manufacturing.

Several senior officials have suggested plug-in hybrids as a possible “flexibility” option to introduce in the legislation.

One independent energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after a long period in which parts of the car sector argued there was too little information to accurately evaluate actual CO2 output.

“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the difference between official and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ output is significantly greater than for petrol or conventional vehicles,” the expert stated. “Any regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme care and considering that evidence.”