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Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release nearly five times more global warming pollution than official figures show, according to a new report.

Widening Gap In Lab and Actual CO2 Output

Data reveals that PHEVs release only one-fifth lower CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel vehicles, based on research conducted by a non-profit organization. That differs significantly with laboratory tests, which suggested a three-quarters decrease in emissions.

Researchers studied data from onboard energy use monitors of eight hundred thousand vehicles sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are rising, while lab-reported emissions are decreasing,” stated a senior researcher participating in the report. “This discrepancy is growing and poses a serious problem. Consequently, PHEVs pollute nearly as heavily as gasoline cars.”

Key Reasons Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts attributed the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in electric power compared to overall mileage. The team found that only a quarter of travel was completed in electric mode, while official estimates assumed over four-fifths.

Additionally, when operating in EV mode, pollution amounts were well above lab projections. This happened because electric motors were not strong sufficient to function alone, resulting to combustion motors burning gasoline for nearly one-third of the travel covered in EV mode.

Policy and Economic Implications

According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV emissions allowed several major automaker companies to avoid more than €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing adherence with EU fleet-average CO₂ targets.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs could spend approximately €500 extra annually in operating expenses than would be estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold claims that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously far from the mark,” commented a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the planet and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are little better than regular petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO₂ production, and operating expenses.”

Political Discussion and Industry Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have lately been brought back into political discussions as automakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO₂ standards. A planned prohibition on new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car industry and opposition from member states with significant car manufacturing.

Some high-level officials have proposed plug-in hybrids as a possible “flexibility” solution to introduce in the regulation.

One external energy policy specialist, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after a long period in which segments of the automotive sector claimed there was too little information to properly assess actual emissions.

“The results show, without question, that the gap in lab and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is significantly larger than for petrol or diesel vehicles,” they said. “All policy changes concerning PHEVs should be implemented with extreme care and in the light of that data.”