Plug-in hybrids cause almost as much pollution as petrol cars, study finds
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) cause almost as much pollution as gasoline vehicles; report revealed.
Unlike fully electric cars, hybrids are powered by combustion engines as well as electric batteries and are sold by automakers as a way to travel longer distances but still reduce emissions.
However, an analysis of 800,000 European cars between 2021 and 2023 found that plug-in hybrids produce almost five times more “real world” pollution than laboratory tests show.
Nonprofit advocacy group Transportation and Environment found that PHEVs emit only 19 percent less CO2 than gasoline and diesel cars; but previous laboratory tests suggested they were 75 percent less polluting.
Data from on-board fuel consumption meters revealed that real-world carbon dioxide emissions were 4.9 times higher than standard laboratory tests and 3.5 times higher in 2021.
said Sofia Navas Gohlke, Transport and Environment researcher and co-author of the report. said Guard: “While official emissions are decreasing, real-world emissions are increasing. This is a gap that is getting worse and is a real problem. As a result, PHEVs pollute almost as much as gasoline cars.”
Even when cars were driven in electric-only mode, researchers found that the electric motors were not powerful enough to operate alone. This meant that its engines had to burn fossil fuels for almost a third of the distance traveled in electric mode.
Hybrid emissions are also increasing due to the trend towards longer electric ranges. Larger batteries make vehicles heavier and therefore burn more fuel in engine mode.
These heavy vehicles also consume more energy than smaller cars when powered by batteries. Data shows that plug-in hybrids with an electric range of over 75 km emit more CO2 on average than those with a range between 45 and 75 km.
The European auto industry wants to be allowed to sell hybrids after the EU’s 2035 deadline for zero-emission cars.
Lucien Mathieu, Automotive Director for Transport and Environment, said: “Weakening the rules for plug-in hybrids is like punching a hole in the body of Europe’s car CO2 law. Carmakers will flood the market with expensive, polluting PHEVs rather than redirecting it towards affordable zero-emission cars. This risks losing the EV investment security the market desperately needs.”
The report also found that PHEVs cost drivers €500 (£430) more per year on fuel and charging than claimed, due to hidden fuel consumption in both electric and engine modes.
Plug-in hybrids are more expensive to use but also more expensive to purchase than clean alternatives. The average selling price of PHEVs in Germany, France and the UK in 2025 will be €55,700 (£48,300), according to Bloomberg Intelligence. This is €15,200 (£13,200) higher than the average price of a battery-powered electric car.
