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PHEVs produce nearly 5x more global warming emissions than lab-reported data indicate, as per a recent analysis.

Widening Gap Between Lab and Actual CO2 Output

Statistics reveals that PHEVs release just 19% lower CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel vehicles, based on research conducted by a advocacy group. This contrasts significantly with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% decrease in emissions.

Analysts examined information from onboard energy use meters of 800,000 cars sold in Europe from 2021 and 2023. They found that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab estimates, up from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are increasing, while official emissions are falling,” said a senior analyst participating in the study. “This gap is widening and creates a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs emit almost as much as gasoline cars.”

Key Factors Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers linked the majority of the difference to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles driven in battery mode relative to overall mileage. They determined that only a quarter of travel was completed in EV mode, whereas lab estimates suggested 84%.

Additionally, when operating in electric mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than official projections. This happened because EV motors were not strong sufficient to operate independently, resulting to combustion motors using gasoline for almost a third of the distance completed in EV mode.

Policy and Economic Consequences

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed four major carmaker companies to avoid over €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing adherence with EU average fleet CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 extra annually in operating costs than would be estimated under laboratory tests.

“The strong claims that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV cars are obviously way off the mark,” stated a automotive expert. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the planet and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are little improved than regular gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO₂ emissions, and operating expenses.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid vehicles have recently been drawn again into policy discussions as carmakers have lobbied the European Union to weaken CO₂ standards. A proposed prohibition on new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car sector and resistance from member states with significant automotive manufacturing.

Some high-level politicians have suggested plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” solution to include in the regulation.

One external energy policy specialist, who was not involved with the study, called the analysis a “very useful contribution” after years in which segments of the automotive sector argued there was insufficient information to properly assess real-world CO2 output.

“The results show, beyond any doubt, that the difference between lab and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ output is much, much larger than for petrol or diesel vehicles,” they stated. “All regulatory adjustments concerning PHEVs should be implemented with utmost caution and in the light of that data.”