The car lobby is demanding that the EU scrap rules that would better reflect PHEV pollution
Carbon dioxide emissions from plug-in hybrid (PHEV) cars are six times higher, on average, than official tests suggest, according to new 2024 data published by the EU last week. The gap between PHEVs’ real-world CO₂ pollution and lab-based test results has actually widened every year since real world emission measurements started in 2021. The EU must reject efforts by carmakers to weaken rules designed to close the gap between official and real-world emissions and stop plug-in hybrids from falsely counting toward climate targets, T&E said.
PHEVs pair an electric battery with a petrol or diesel engine and currently account for 9.8% of EU car sales [1]. Last year, the European Commission made a major concession to carmakers by proposing to allow PHEV sales beyond 2035. Now, through their industry group ACEA, carmakers are pushing to cancel a planned 2027 regulatory update that would tighten the gap between real-world and official emissions. (....)