🔗 Share this article Plug in Hybrid electric Cars Pollute Nearly as Much as Gasoline Cars, Study Reveals Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release nearly 5x more planet-heating emissions than official data indicate, as per a new analysis. Growing Gap Between Official and Real-World CO2 Output Statistics shows that PHEVs release only 19% lower CO2 than conventional gas and diesel cars, according to analysis conducted by a advocacy group. That contrasts sharply with laboratory tests, which suggested a three-quarters reduction in pollution. Researchers studied information from in-vehicle fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021. “Actual emissions are increasing, while official emissions are falling,” said a senior analyst involved in the study. “This discrepancy is growing and poses a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs emit nearly as much as petrol cars.” Key Factors Driving the Discrepancy Analysts attributed the majority of the difference to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers driven in battery mode relative to overall distance. The team determined that just a quarter of travel was completed in electric mode, while official estimates suggested 84%. Even, when running in electric mode, pollution amounts were well above lab projections. That happened because electric motors were not strong sufficient to function alone, resulting to combustion motors burning gasoline for almost one-third of the travel covered in electric mode. Regulatory and Economic Consequences Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed four large carmaker companies to escape over €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing compliance with European Union average fleet CO2 targets. Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs could spend approximately €500 more per year in operating expenses than would be estimated under lab tests. “The strong statements that automakers like to make about their PHEV cars are obviously way off the truth,” stated a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting costs. Actually, PHEVs are little better than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel consumption, CO2 production, and running expenses.” Political Debate and Automotive Lobbying Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn again into policy discussions as carmakers have pressed the EU to relax CO2 targets. A planned ban on sales of new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive sector and opposition from member states with significant car industries. Several senior politicians have suggested PHEVs as a possible “flexibility” solution to include in the legislation. An independent energy economics specialist, who was not involved with the research, called the analysis a “very useful contribution” after years in which segments of the car industry claimed there was too little data to accurately evaluate real-world CO2 output. “The results show, without question, that the gap between official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is significantly larger than for petrol or diesel vehicles,” the expert said. “Any regulatory changes regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and in the light of that data.”