🔗 Share this article Plug-in Hybrid electric Cars Emit Almost as Much as Petrol Cars, Report Finds Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles produce nearly 5x greater planet-heating pollution than lab-reported figures indicate, according to a recent analysis. Widening Gap Between Official and Actual CO2 Output Data reveals that PHEVs release just 19% less CO2 than traditional gas and diesel vehicles, based on research carried out by a advocacy organization. That differs significantly with laboratory estimates, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in pollution. Researchers studied data from in-vehicle energy use monitors of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than official estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021. “Actual CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported emissions are decreasing,” stated a lead analyst involved in the study. “This discrepancy is widening and poses a significant problem. Consequently, PHEVs pollute nearly as much as petrol vehicles.” Primary Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap Analysts attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles driven in battery power relative to overall mileage. The team determined that only a quarter of travel was done in EV mode, while official assumptions assumed 84%. Even, when operating in electric mode, pollution levels were well above official estimates. That happened because electric motors were not strong enough to function alone, leading to engines burning fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the travel completed in EV mode. Regulatory and Financial Implications According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output allowed four large carmaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing compliance with EU fleet-average CO2 standards. Additionally, owners of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 extra annually in operating expenses than is estimated under laboratory tests. “The bold statements that automakers like to make about their PHEV cars are clearly way off the mark,” commented a automotive expert. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting money. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly improved than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO2 production, and running expenses.” Political Debate and Automotive Pressure Plug-in hybrid cars have lately been drawn back into political debates as automakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO2 targets. A planned ban on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with large automotive industries. Several high-level politicians have suggested plug-in hybrids as a potential “compromise” option to include in the regulation. One independent energy policy expert, who was not involved with the study, called the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after years in which segments of the car sector argued there was insufficient information to properly assess real-world CO2 output. “These findings show, without question, that the gap between official and actual PHEV energy use and CO2 emissions is significantly greater than for petrol or conventional vehicles,” the expert stated. “All policy changes regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme care and in the light of this data.”