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Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles produce almost five times greater global warming emissions than official figures indicate, as per a new report.

Widening Discrepancy In Lab and Real-World Emissions

Data shows that PHEVs release just one-fifth lower CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel cars, according to research conducted by a advocacy group. This contrasts significantly with lab estimates, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.

Analysts studied information from in-vehicle energy use meters of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are rising, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a lead researcher involved in the study. “That gap is growing and creates a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute nearly as heavily as gasoline vehicles.”

Key Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers linked the majority of the difference to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in battery mode compared to total mileage. They determined that just a quarter of travel was done in EV mode, while official estimates assumed over four-fifths.

Even, when operating in EV mode, pollution levels were well above official estimates. This occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to operate alone, leading to engines burning fossil fuels for almost one-third of the travel covered in EV mode.

Policy and Economic Implications

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled several major automaker groups to avoid over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with European Union average fleet CO₂ standards.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs could pay about €500 extra annually in operating costs than is estimated under lab tests.

“The bold claims that automakers often promote about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” commented a transport expert. “Buyers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO₂ emissions, and operating expenses.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Pressure

Plug-in hybrid cars have lately been brought again into political discussions as carmakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO₂ standards. A proposed ban on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive sector and resistance from EU countries with large automotive manufacturing.

Several senior officials have proposed PHEVs as a possible “flexibility” solution to include in the legislation.

An independent energy policy specialist, who was not involved with the research, described the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after a long period in which parts of the automotive industry claimed there was too little data to accurately evaluate real-world CO2 output.

“The results demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the difference between official and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ output is significantly greater than for gasoline or diesel cars,” the expert stated. “All regulatory adjustments concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme care and considering this data.”