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PHEVs produce almost 5x greater global warming pollution than official figures show, according to a recent report.

Widening Gap Between Official and Actual Emissions

Data reveals that PHEVs release only 19% lower CO₂ than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on analysis carried out by a non-profit group. This contrasts significantly with laboratory tests, which suggested a 75% decrease in emissions.

Researchers studied data from onboard energy use monitors of 800,000 cars sold in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than official figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while official figures are falling,” said a senior analyst participating in the report. “This gap is growing and poses a serious issue. As a result, PHEVs emit nearly as much as petrol vehicles.”

Key Reasons Driving the Discrepancy

Researchers attributed the majority of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles driven in battery mode compared to overall distance. The team found that just 27% of travel was done in EV mode, whereas lab estimates assumed 84%.

Even, when operating in electric mode, emission amounts were well above official projections. This happened because electric motors were not strong enough to operate alone, resulting to engines using fossil fuels for almost a third of the travel completed in electric mode.

Policy and Financial Consequences

Based on calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed several large automaker companies to escape over €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with EU average fleet CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 more per year in operating expenses than is assumed under laboratory conditions.

“The bold statements that manufacturers often promote about their PHEV cars are clearly way off the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are little improved than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel use, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid cars have recently been drawn back into policy debates as automakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ standards. A proposed ban on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with significant automotive manufacturing.

Some senior politicians have suggested plug-in hybrids as a possible “flexibility” option to include in the regulation.

An independent energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the report a “highly valuable addition” after a long period in which segments of the car industry claimed there was too little information to accurately evaluate actual emissions.

“The results demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the gap between official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is much, much greater than for gasoline or conventional vehicles,” the expert stated. “All regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and in the light of that data.”