Analysis of 800,000 European cars found real-world pollution from plug-in hybrids nearly five times greater than lab tests
www.theguardian.com
Even when the cars were driven in electric mode, the analysis found that levels of pollution were well above official estimates. The researchers said this was because electric motors were not strong enough to operate alone, with their engines burning fossil fuels for almost one-third of the distance travelled in electric mode.
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The researchers calculated that the underestimate of PHEV emissions had let four major carmaker groups avoid more than €5bn (£4.3bn) in fines between 2021 and 2023, by making it artificially easier to comply with the EU’s fleet-average CO2 targets. They added that drivers of PHEVs would also be paying about €500 more a year in running costs than would be assumed under laboratory tests.
“The bold claims that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are clearly way off the mark,” said Colin Walker, a transport analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.
“Consumers are being duped into believing that in buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and saving money,” he said. “In reality, PHEVs are little better than regular petrol and diesel cars when it comes to the fuel they consume, the CO2 they produce and the money they cost to run.”
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