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PHEVs produce nearly 5x more global warming emissions than official figures show, according to a new report.

Widening Gap In Lab and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release only 19% less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel cars, based on research carried out by a advocacy group. This differs significantly with lab estimates, which suggested a three-quarters reduction in pollution.

Analysts studied information from onboard fuel consumption monitors of eight hundred thousand cars registered in the EU from 2021 and 2023. They 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.

“Actual CO2 output are increasing, while lab-reported emissions are falling,” stated a senior researcher participating in the study. “That discrepancy is growing and creates a serious problem. Consequently, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as gasoline cars.”

Key Reasons Driving the Discrepancy

Researchers attributed the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of miles travelled in electric mode compared to total mileage. The team determined that just 27% of driving was done in electric mode, whereas lab assumptions suggested 84%.

Even, when operating in electric mode, emission amounts were significantly higher than lab estimates. This happened because EV motors were not strong enough to function alone, leading to engines burning gasoline for nearly one-third of the distance completed in EV mode.

Regulatory and Economic Implications

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed several large carmaker companies to escape more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing compliance with European Union fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs could pay approximately €500 more annually in operating expenses than is estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold claims that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” stated a transport expert. “Consumers are being duped into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and cutting costs. Actually, PHEVs are little better than standard petrol and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO₂ production, and operating expenses.”

Policy Discussion and Industry Lobbying

Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn again into policy debates as automakers have lobbied the European Union to relax CO₂ standards. A planned prohibition on new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive industry and resistance from EU countries with large automotive manufacturing.

Several high-level politicians have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “compromise” solution to introduce in the regulation.

One independent energy policy specialist, who was not involved with the research, described the analysis a “very useful addition” after years in which segments of the automotive industry claimed there was too little data to properly evaluate actual CO2 output.

“These findings show, without question, that the gap between lab and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” the expert stated. “Any policy changes concerning PHEVs should be implemented with utmost care and in the light of that data.”