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PHEVs emit nearly 5x more global warming emissions than official data indicate, according to a recent report.

Growing Discrepancy In Official and Actual Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs release just 19% less CO₂ than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on research conducted by a advocacy organization. That differs significantly with lab tests, which suggested a 75% decrease in pollution.

Analysts studied information from onboard fuel consumption monitors of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team found that actual CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Real-world CO2 output are rising, while official figures are falling,” stated a senior researcher participating in the study. “That gap is widening and poses a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute nearly as heavily as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Factors Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts linked most of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers driven in battery mode relative to overall mileage. They found that just 27% of travel was done in EV mode, whereas lab assumptions suggested over four-fifths.

Additionally, when running in EV mode, emission levels were significantly higher than official projections. That happened because electric motors were not strong sufficient to function alone, resulting to combustion motors using gasoline for almost a third of the distance covered in electric mode.

Regulatory and Economic Consequences

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled four major automaker companies to escape over €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with European Union average fleet CO₂ standards.

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

“The strong statements that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” stated a automotive expert. “Consumers are being duped into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are little better than standard petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ production, and operating expenses.”

Political Discussion and Industry Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn back into policy debates as automakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ targets. A proposed prohibition on sales of new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with large automotive industries.

Some senior politicians have proposed PHEVs as a possible “compromise” option to include in the regulation.

One external energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the report a “highly valuable addition” after a long period in which parts of the automotive sector argued there was too little information to properly evaluate actual emissions.

“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the difference between official and actual PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is significantly larger than for gasoline or conventional cars,” the expert stated. “Any policy changes regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and in the light of this data.”