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PHEVs emit nearly 5x greater global warming emissions than lab-reported figures indicate, as per a recent report.

Widening Gap In Lab and Real-World CO2 Output

Data shows that PHEVs release just 19% less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, according to research carried out by a non-profit organization. This differs significantly with laboratory estimates, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.

Researchers studied information from in-vehicle energy use meters of 800,000 cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than official figures, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are rising, while official emissions are falling,” stated a lead researcher involved in the study. “That gap is widening and poses a significant issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as heavily as gasoline cars.”

Key Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers attributed the majority of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of miles travelled in electric mode relative to overall mileage. The team determined that only a quarter of driving was done in electric mode, whereas lab estimates assumed 84%.

Even, when operating in EV mode, pollution amounts were well above lab estimates. That happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function alone, resulting to engines using gasoline for nearly one-third of the travel covered in EV mode.

Policy and Financial Implications

According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions allowed several major automaker companies to escape more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with EU average fleet CO₂ targets.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 more per year in operating costs than would be estimated under lab tests.

“The strong claims that automakers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are obviously way off the mark,” commented a transport analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. In reality, PHEVs are little better than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO₂ production, and running costs.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn again into political debates as carmakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ targets. A proposed ban on new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car sector and opposition from EU countries with significant automotive manufacturing.

Some high-level officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” solution to introduce in the legislation.

An independent energy policy specialist, who was not involved with the research, called the report a “highly valuable contribution” after years in which parts of the car industry claimed there was too little data to accurately evaluate actual CO2 output.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the difference in lab and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is significantly larger than for petrol or diesel cars,” they stated. “Any regulatory adjustments concerning PHEVs should be made with utmost care and in the light of this evidence.”