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Plug-in hybrid cars emit almost 5x more global warming emissions than official data show, as per a recent analysis.

Growing Gap In Official and Actual Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only one-fifth less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, according to research conducted by a non-profit group. That contrasts sharply with laboratory estimates, which suggested a three-quarters decrease in emissions.

Analysts studied information from onboard fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand cars registered in the EU between 2021 and 2023. They found that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab estimates, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are increasing, while official figures are decreasing,” stated a senior researcher participating in the study. “This discrepancy is widening and creates a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as heavily as gasoline cars.”

Key Reasons Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts linked most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles driven in battery power relative to overall mileage. The team found that just 27% of driving was completed in electric mode, whereas official assumptions suggested over four-fifths.

Additionally, when operating in electric mode, emission levels were well above official estimates. That happened because EV motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to operate alone, resulting to engines using fossil fuels for nearly a third of the distance completed in EV mode.

Regulatory and Economic Consequences

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled four major carmaker companies to avoid over €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with European Union fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would spend about €500 more per year in running costs than is estimated under lab tests.

“The bold claims that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV cars are obviously far from the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving money. In reality, PHEVs are little better than regular gas and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions, and running costs.”

Policy Debate and Industry Pressure

Hybrid cars have lately been drawn again into policy discussions as automakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ targets. A proposed prohibition on sales of new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive industry and opposition from member states with large car industries.

Some senior officials have suggested plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” option to introduce in the legislation.

An independent energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, called the report a “very useful addition” after years in which segments of the car sector claimed there was insufficient data to properly evaluate actual CO2 output.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap in official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is significantly larger than for petrol or diesel cars,” the expert said. “Any regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and considering that evidence.”