New research out of Europe claims the tailpipe emissions of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) are barely an improvement over petrol and diesel cars.
The study, by independent lobby group Transport and Environment (T&E), tracked the emissions data of 127,000 PHEVs across the European Union, collected by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
According to the findings, the PHEVs produced an average of 135 grams of CO2 per kilometre in the real world – compared to 166g/km from equivalent petrol and diesel cars.
Typically, PHEVs combine a small battery and electric motor/s with a petrol engine, allowing the average owner to commute to and from work each day using only electric power – with the petrol engine meant to be used to supplement performance, charge the battery, and allow the vehicle to be driven for greater distances beyond the battery range.
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While PHEVs have been touted as reducing emissions by as much as 75 per cent in lab testing – when used as intended – researchers from T&E claim CO2 emissions are only offering a 19 per cent reduction in the real world.
Previous studies have shown that not all PHEV owners use the technology as it should be used (ie: recharging the vehicle each day), particularly when an organisation provides a fleet of PHEVs to be used by employees.
However, the latest paper from T&E claims the new trend towards larger batteries – designed to increase the electric-only driving distance of PHEVs from roughly 70km to 170km, or more – significantly increases the weight of the car.
The additional weight makes it more difficult for PHEVs to drive uphill and at higher speeds without the assistance of the internal combustion engine.
Even when the vehicles are being driven in electric mode, T&E says the PHEVs consumed three litres of petrol per 100km on average – producing 68g/km, or 8.5 times more than official tests.
The study claims PHEVs with an electric range greater than 75km emit more CO2 on average than those with electric driving ranges of between 45 and 75km.
With Australia’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure still in its relative infancy, many have touted PHEVs as the logical ‘stepping stone’ for Australian drivers – offering zero-emissions driving for daily commuting, without limiting the ability to travel to regional areas where charging opportunities may not be prevalent.