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PHEVs produce nearly 5x greater global warming pollution than lab-reported figures show, as per a recent report.

Widening Gap In Lab and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only 19% less CO₂ than conventional petrol and diesel cars, based on analysis conducted by a non-profit organization. That contrasts sharply with laboratory tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in emissions.

Researchers studied data from in-vehicle energy use monitors of eight hundred thousand cars registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. They found that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported emissions are decreasing,” stated a lead researcher participating in the report. “This discrepancy is widening and creates a significant problem. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as heavily as gasoline cars.”

Primary Reasons Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts linked most of the difference to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of kilometers travelled in battery power relative to overall mileage. They found that just 27% of travel was completed in electric mode, whereas lab assumptions suggested over four-fifths.

Even, when running in EV mode, emission levels were significantly higher than lab estimates. This happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function independently, resulting to combustion motors burning gasoline for nearly a third of the distance covered in EV mode.

Regulatory and Financial Consequences

Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV emissions allowed four major automaker companies to escape more than €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing compliance with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 extra annually in operating expenses than would be estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold statements that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV cars are clearly far from the truth,” commented a automotive expert. “Buyers are being duped into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and saving money. In reality, PHEVs are little improved than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid vehicles have lately been brought back into policy debates as carmakers have lobbied the EU to relax CO₂ targets. A planned prohibition on new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive industry and resistance from member states with large car manufacturing.

Some senior politicians have proposed plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” option to include in the regulation.

An independent energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the report a “very useful contribution” after years in which segments of the car sector argued there was insufficient data to accurately evaluate actual emissions.

“The results demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the difference between official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for gasoline or conventional cars,” the expert stated. “Any policy changes regarding PHEVs should be implemented with utmost care and in the light of this data.”