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PHEVs produce almost 5x greater global warming emissions than official data show, as per a recent analysis.

Widening Gap Between Official and Real-World CO2 Output

Data reveals that PHEVs release only one-fifth less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel cars, according to research carried out by a advocacy group. That differs significantly with lab tests, which suggested a 75% reduction in pollution.

Researchers studied data from onboard energy use meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles sold in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team found that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official figures, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are rising, while lab-reported emissions are decreasing,” stated a lead researcher involved in the study. “This discrepancy is widening and creates a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs emit almost as much as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Factors Behind the Discrepancy

Researchers attributed the majority of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of kilometers driven in electric power compared to total distance. They found that only a quarter of travel was completed in electric mode, while official estimates suggested 84%.

Even, when operating in EV mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than lab estimates. That happened because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function independently, resulting to engines burning gasoline for almost a third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Policy and Financial Consequences

Based on estimates, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled several major automaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying adherence with European Union average fleet CO₂ standards.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 more per year in running expenses than would be estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” stated a transport analyst. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are little improved than standard gas and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO₂ production, and operating expenses.”

Policy Debate and Industry Pressure

Plug-in hybrid cars have lately been drawn back into policy debates as automakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO₂ targets. A proposed prohibition on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and resistance from member states with large car industries.

Several high-level officials have proposed PHEVs as a possible “flexibility” solution to include in the regulation.

An independent energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the report a “highly valuable addition” after years in which parts of the automotive industry claimed there was too little data to accurately evaluate real-world emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the gap in lab and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for petrol or diesel cars,” the expert stated. “All policy adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with utmost caution and considering this data.”