🔗 Share this article Plug-in Hybrid electric Vehicles Emit Almost as Heavily as Gasoline Vehicles, Report Finds Plug-in hybrid cars produce almost 5x greater planet-heating pollution than official data indicate, according to a new analysis. Growing Gap In Official and Actual CO2 Output Statistics reveals that PHEVs release just one-fifth less CO2 than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on research conducted by a advocacy group. That differs sharply with laboratory estimates, which assumed a three-quarters decrease in emissions. Researchers examined data from onboard fuel consumption meters of 800,000 vehicles registered in Europe from 2021 and 2023. They found that real-world CO2 emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than official estimates, increased from 3.5 times in 2021. “Real-world CO2 output are increasing, while lab-reported figures are decreasing,” stated a lead analyst involved in the study. “That gap is widening and poses a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as gasoline vehicles.” Primary Reasons Driving the Emissions Gap Analysts attributed the majority of the difference to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of kilometers driven in battery power relative to overall mileage. The team determined that only 27% of travel was done in EV mode, while official assumptions assumed 84%. Additionally, when operating in EV mode, pollution amounts were well above official projections. That happened because electric motors were not strong sufficient to function independently, resulting to combustion motors using gasoline for almost a third of the travel covered in EV mode. Regulatory and Economic Implications Based on calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions allowed several large carmaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying compliance with EU average fleet CO2 standards. Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs could pay about €500 more per year in running costs than would be assumed under laboratory conditions. “The strong claims that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are clearly way off the mark,” stated a transport analyst. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. In reality, PHEVs are little improved than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO2 production, and running expenses.” Political Debate and Automotive Pressure Plug-in hybrid cars have recently been brought back into policy discussions as carmakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO2 standards. A proposed ban on sales of new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive sector and opposition from member states with significant car manufacturing. Several senior officials have suggested plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” solution to introduce in the regulation. An independent energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the report a “very useful contribution” after a long period in which segments of the car sector claimed there was insufficient information to accurately assess real-world CO2 output. “The results demonstrate, without question, that the difference between lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO2 output is significantly larger than for gasoline or diesel cars,” they stated. “All policy changes regarding PHEVs should be implemented with utmost care and in the light of this data.”