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PHEVs produce almost five times greater planet-heating emissions than official data show, according to a recent report.

Widening Gap Between Official and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit just 19% lower CO₂ than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on research carried out by a advocacy group. That differs significantly with lab tests, which suggested a three-quarters decrease in emissions.

Analysts studied information from in-vehicle energy use meters of 800,000 cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than official estimates, increased from three and a half times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are increasing, while official emissions are falling,” stated a senior analyst participating in the study. “This discrepancy is widening and creates a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute almost as heavily as petrol vehicles.”

Primary Reasons Driving the Discrepancy

Analysts linked the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of miles travelled in battery power compared to overall mileage. The team found that only a quarter of driving was completed in EV mode, whereas lab estimates suggested over four-fifths.

Additionally, when running in EV mode, pollution amounts were well above official estimates. That occurred because EV motors were not strong sufficient to function alone, resulting to engines using gasoline for almost one-third of the travel covered in EV mode.

Policy and Economic Implications

Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV emissions enabled several major automaker companies to escape more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with EU fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs could spend about €500 extra annually in running expenses than would be assumed under lab tests.

“The bold claims that manufacturers often promote about their plug-in hybrid cars are obviously way off the truth,” stated a automotive analyst. “Consumers 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 regular gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid cars have recently been drawn again into political discussions as automakers have lobbied the EU to relax CO₂ targets. A planned ban on sales of new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the car industry and resistance from EU countries with large automotive manufacturing.

Some senior officials have suggested plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” solution to include in the regulation.

An external energy policy expert, who was not involved with the study, described the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after years in which segments of the car sector claimed there was too little data to properly evaluate real-world emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the difference between official and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is significantly greater than for petrol or conventional cars,” the expert said. “Any regulatory changes concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme care and considering that evidence.”