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PHEVs release nearly five times greater global warming emissions than lab-reported figures show, as per a new report.

Growing Discrepancy In Lab and Actual Emissions

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release only one-fifth lower CO₂ than conventional petrol and diesel cars, based on analysis conducted by a advocacy group. This contrasts significantly with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% decrease in emissions.

Analysts examined data from in-vehicle energy use monitors of 800,000 vehicles sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are increasing, while lab-reported figures are decreasing,” said a lead analyst involved in the report. “That discrepancy is widening and creates a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute nearly as heavily as gasoline cars.”

Primary Factors Behind the Emissions Gap

Analysts attributed most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles travelled in battery mode relative to overall distance. They determined that only 27% of travel was done in electric mode, whereas official estimates suggested 84%.

Additionally, when operating in EV mode, emission levels were significantly higher than official projections. That occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to operate independently, resulting to combustion motors using fossil fuels for nearly a third of the travel completed in EV mode.

Regulatory and Financial Implications

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled four large automaker groups to escape over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with EU average fleet CO₂ standards.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs would pay about €500 more annually in running costs than is estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold claims that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV cars are clearly far from the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being misled into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ production, and running costs.”

Policy Debate and Industry Lobbying

Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn back into policy debates as automakers have lobbied the EU to weaken CO₂ targets. A proposed ban on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with significant automotive industries.

Several senior politicians have suggested PHEVs as a potential “compromise” option to include in the regulation.

One independent energy economics specialist, who was unaffiliated with the study, described the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after a long period in which parts of the automotive sector claimed there was insufficient data to properly evaluate actual CO2 output.

“The results show, beyond any doubt, that the gap in lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is much, much larger than for gasoline or diesel cars,” they stated. “Any policy adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme care and considering this data.”