PHEVs release nearly five times more planet-heating emissions than official data indicate, according to a recent analysis.
Data shows that PHEVs release just one-fifth less CO2 than conventional petrol and diesel cars, based on research carried out by a non-profit organization. This differs significantly with lab tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in emissions.
Researchers studied data from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 cars registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that real-world CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than lab figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.
“Actual CO2 output are increasing, while lab-reported emissions are decreasing,” stated a senior researcher participating in the report. “This gap is growing and poses a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as much as petrol vehicles.”
Analysts attributed the majority of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in battery mode compared to overall mileage. The team determined that just 27% of travel was completed in electric mode, whereas lab assumptions suggested 84%.
Even, when operating in EV mode, pollution amounts were well above lab estimates. That occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function alone, leading to engines burning gasoline for nearly one-third of the distance covered in electric mode.
Based on calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed four major automaker companies to escape over €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with EU fleet-average CO2 targets.
Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 more annually in operating costs than would be estimated under lab conditions.
“The strong statements that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are clearly far from the mark,” stated a transport expert. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are little better than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO2 production, and running costs.”
Hybrid vehicles have lately been brought again into policy debates as carmakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO2 standards. A proposed prohibition on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive sector and resistance from member states with significant automotive manufacturing.
Some senior officials have proposed PHEVs as a possible “flexibility” solution to include in the regulation.
One independent energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after a long period in which parts of the automotive industry claimed there was too little information to accurately evaluate real-world CO2 output.
“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the difference between lab and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is significantly larger than for petrol or diesel cars,” the expert stated. “All policy changes regarding PHEVs should be implemented with utmost caution and in the light of that data.”
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