🔗 Share this article Plug-in Hybrid Cars Emit Nearly as Much as Gasoline Cars, Report Reveals PHEVs produce almost 5x greater global warming emissions than official figures show, according to a new report. Widening Discrepancy In Lab and Actual Emissions Statistics reveals that PHEVs emit just 19% lower CO2 than conventional gas and diesel cars, according to research conducted by a advocacy organization. This differs significantly with lab tests, which suggested a 75% reduction in pollution. Analysts examined information from in-vehicle energy use meters of 800,000 cars sold in the EU from 2021 and 2023. They found that actual CO2 emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab figures, up from 3.5 times in 2021. “Actual emissions are rising, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a lead researcher participating in the report. “This discrepancy is growing and creates a significant problem. Consequently, PHEVs emit nearly as heavily as gasoline cars.” Primary Reasons Behind the Discrepancy Analysts linked most of the difference to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers travelled in battery mode relative to overall mileage. They determined that only a quarter of travel was done in EV mode, while lab assumptions assumed over four-fifths. Even, when running in electric mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than official estimates. This occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function independently, resulting to engines using fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the travel completed in EV mode. Regulatory and Economic Consequences Based on estimates, the underestimation of PHEV emissions allowed four large automaker groups to escape more than €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying compliance with European Union average fleet CO2 standards. Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs could pay about €500 extra per year in running expenses than would be estimated under laboratory conditions. “The strong claims that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV cars are obviously way off the truth,” stated a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and operating expenses.” Policy Debate and Industry Lobbying Hybrid vehicles have lately been brought back into political debates as carmakers have lobbied the EU to relax CO2 standards. A proposed ban on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the car sector and opposition from EU countries with large car manufacturing. Some high-level officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a possible “flexibility” option to include in the regulation. An external energy economics specialist, who was unaffiliated with the study, described the report a “very useful addition” after years in which segments of the automotive industry claimed there was insufficient data to properly evaluate real-world emissions. “These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap in lab and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is significantly larger than for gasoline or diesel cars,” the expert said. “All policy changes regarding PHEVs should be made with utmost caution and considering that data.”