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PHEVs produce almost five times more global warming emissions than official data indicate, as per a recent report.

Widening Gap In Lab and Actual CO2 Output

Data shows that PHEVs release just 19% lower CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel cars, based on research carried out by a non-profit group. That contrasts sharply with lab tests, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in pollution.

Researchers examined data from onboard energy use meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than lab estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are increasing, while official emissions are decreasing,” said a lead analyst participating in the study. “This discrepancy is growing and poses a serious problem. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as much as gasoline cars.”

Primary Reasons Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers attributed most of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles travelled in battery power relative to overall distance. The team determined that only a quarter of travel was completed in EV mode, while official estimates suggested over four-fifths.

Additionally, when operating in EV mode, pollution amounts were significantly higher than lab estimates. That occurred because EV motors were not strong enough to function alone, leading to engines using fossil fuels for nearly one-third of the travel completed in EV mode.

Regulatory and Economic Consequences

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled several large carmaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 extra annually in operating expenses than would be estimated under lab conditions.

“The strong claims that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are obviously way off the mark,” stated a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being misled into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ production, and operating costs.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid cars have lately been brought back into political discussions as automakers have pressed the European Union to weaken CO₂ standards. A planned ban on new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car industry and opposition from EU countries with large car industries.

Some high-level officials have suggested PHEVs as a potential “compromise” option to include in the legislation.

An external energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the report a “very useful contribution” after years in which segments of the automotive sector argued there was too little data to properly assess real-world CO2 output.

“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the difference in official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is much, much greater than for gasoline or conventional vehicles,” the expert stated. “All regulatory adjustments concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme care and in the light of this data.”