Plug-in hybrids ‘pollute much more than advertised’, says study
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The carbon dioxide emissions of the latest plug-in hybrid vehicles are three times higher than advertised when their batteries are fully charged, a green transport think tank warned today.
Transport & Environment said that while plug-in hybrids, known as PHEVs, are presented as a climate solution and a springboard to full electrification, tests conducted in conjunction with the University of Graz in Austria show that the latest models pollute “significantly more than claimed on commuting routes’.
Additional pollution measurements from three of the newest PHEVs showed that they can emit up to seven times their advertised carbon dioxide output during a typical trip through city centers when their batteries are depleted.
The environmental group has called on the UK government to stop providing green tax breaks for PHEVs and ban new models from sale, while conventional petrol and diesel cars are withdrawn from showrooms by 2030.
Not as green as they say: A new report claims plug-in hybrid cars ‘pollute significantly more than advertised’ and should be banned from petrol and diesel sales by 2030
Two years ago, T&E found that PHEVs — which combine a small battery and electric motors with an internal combustion engine, usually a gasoline engine — polluted significantly more than advertised on longer routes.
However, the latest research has shown that they fall short of their ‘official’ emissions targets when entering cities when motorists use them for commuting.
The findings are based on the measurements of three recent PHEV models: a BMW 3 Series 330e xDrive (from £46,430 in the UK); Peugeot 308 Hybrid 225 (from £41,140); and Renault Megane E-TECH Plug-in Hybrid 160 (not sold in the UK).
It turned out that the trio all emitted more CO2 than advertised in road testing, even when starting with a full battery.
According to the tests of the Technical University of Graz, the BMW was three times more polluted than the official standard.
The Peugeot 308 and Renault Mégane plug-in hybrids performed better, but still polluted 20 percent and 70 percent more than claimed, respectively, despite the relatively short 34-mile round trip as part of the test.
The BMW tested as part of the Graz University of Technology report was a 330e xDrive, priced at £46,430 in the UK
The Austrian university used emissions measurement technology on the three cars while driving on designated commuter and urban routes. The image shows the Peugeot with the pollution measurement equipment connected
Even with a fully charged battery, the BMW emits three times more CO2 than advertised, the report said
The study also measures the range of each electric-only car.
In the city, the Peugeot had just over half (53 percent) of the advertised electric range on a single charge, while the BMW had just 74 percent.
Only the Renault had the electric range, at 50 miles on a full charge – which T&E says is still not enough for many commuters to make a round trip to work.
According to Transport & Environment, PHEVs are wrongly presented as a climate solution and a step towards full electrification
When tested with a dead battery, the BMW, Peugeot and Renault emitted between five and seven times their claimed CO2 on the road, as shown in this table
With the UK government looking to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, some plug-in hybrids will be allowed to remain in showrooms until 2035.
Ministers have said only hybrids that can travel a “significant distance without emitting carbon” will remain on sale until the middle of the next decade, but have still not clarified what a “significant distance” is.
After finding that PHEVs emit more on the road than advertised, the think tank says only plug-in hybrids with a minimum electric range of 80 miles and the ability to fast charge should be allowed to be sold until 2035.
Richard Hebditch, director of Transport & Environment UK, said: ‘Plug-in hybrids are being sold to drivers and governments as part of the climate solution. The truth is that they pollute much more than advertised and are a dangerous distraction from full electrification.
“In city and commuter tests, they pollute significantly more than advertised.
“Government plans to decarbonise motoring should be based on the reality of their emissions, not industry claims.”
Around half of all new PHEVs registered in the UK each year are currently company cars as drivers benefit from lower taxes. T&E says this shouldn’t be the case
Some 101,414 plug-in hybrid cars were registered in Britain in 2022 – and another 9,109 last month, according to the latest SMMT figures released this week.
However, commercial vehicles account for half (51 per cent) of new PHEV registrations in the UK.
This is mainly due to lower taxes on benefits in kind for employees and lower motor vehicle taxes compared to internal combustion engines.
But T&E adds that research shows that commercial vehicle PHEVs cover the vast majority of miles on the engine and are rarely charged by their holders.
When tested with a flat battery, the BMW, Peugeot and Renault emitted between five and seven times their claimed CO2 on the road.
T&E said the government should tax private cars and commercial vehicle PHEVs based on their real-world pollution.
Mr Hebditch added: ‘The UK has publicly committed to phasing out sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, but has left a back door open to fossil fuels in plug-in hybrids.
‘The reality is that PHEVs are still major polluters.
“Unless there are tight rules about what qualifies, we risk holding CO2 from cars into the 2030s rather than the all-electric future we need.”
Clever tech or a bit of a crook? Hybrid BMWs could detect when they enter a low-emission zone – such as London’s ULEZ – and shut down their internal combustion engines. But T&E said this wasn’t always the case when testing a BMW PHEV in Graz
London – with the ULEZ – and Birmingham – with a Clean Air Zone – are among the cities chosen to pioneer BMW’s zero-emissions technology, which is now being fitted to its most popular plug-in hybrid vehicles
T&E tests BMW’s zero-emission geo-fencing technology – and finds it doesn’t work
German car giant BMW introduced geo-fencing technology in 2020 that only automatically switches its PHEV models to zero-emission electric driving mode once they enter the border of cities.
However, during the tests in Graz, the 3 Series PHEV used for the study ran its petrol engine twice.
Tests also suggest that the BMW could conserve battery power when outside cities in the case of accessing geo-fenced areas.
T&E said geo-fencing technology does not guarantee zero-emissions driving in cities and may risk increasing CO2 emissions outside such zones.
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