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PHEVs produce nearly five times more global warming pollution than official figures show, according to a new report.

Widening Gap In Official and Real-World CO2 Output

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only one-fifth less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel cars, according to research carried out by a non-profit organization. This differs sharply with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% decrease in pollution.

Analysts studied information from onboard fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand cars sold in the EU between 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than official figures, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are increasing, while official figures are decreasing,” said a lead analyst involved in the report. “That gap is growing and poses a serious problem. Consequently, PHEVs emit nearly as much as gasoline vehicles.”

Key Factors Behind the Emissions Gap

Researchers linked the majority of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles travelled in battery mode compared to total distance. The team found that only 27% of travel was done in electric mode, whereas lab assumptions suggested 84%.

Additionally, when operating in EV mode, pollution levels were well above official projections. That occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function independently, leading to engines burning gasoline for nearly one-third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Policy and Economic Consequences

Based on calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled several large carmaker groups to escape more than €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with European Union average fleet CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 extra annually in running costs than is assumed under laboratory conditions.

“The bold statements that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are clearly far from the truth,” stated a automotive expert. “Buyers are being duped into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting money. In reality, PHEVs are little better than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO₂ production, and operating costs.”

Policy Discussion and Industry Lobbying

Plug-in hybrid cars have lately been drawn again into political debates as carmakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO₂ targets. A planned prohibition on new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive industry and resistance from EU countries with significant automotive manufacturing.

Several high-level politicians have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” option to introduce in the regulation.

One external energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the analysis a “highly valuable addition” after years in which segments of the automotive industry claimed there was insufficient information to properly assess actual CO2 output.

“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the difference between official and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ output is much, much greater than for petrol or diesel cars,” they stated. “Any policy changes regarding PHEVs should be made with utmost care and considering that evidence.”