Recent findings from the European Union reveal a startling truth: plug-in hybrid cars (PHEVs), often hailed as environmentally friendly, actually emit far more pollutants than the official tests suggest. This unexpected revelation challenges the perception of these vehicles, revealing a darker side to their supposed eco-friendliness.

While lab tests show average emissions of just 28g CO₂ per kilometre, real-world data collected from 127,000 PHEVs registered in 2023 reveal emissions closer to 139 g/km—almost five times higher. The owners apparently drive them more on gasoline than on electricity.

PHEVs, which run partly on electricity but still rely on petrol or diesel engines, currently account for around 8.6% of all new car sales in the EU in 2025. Automakers want to continue selling them even after the EU’s 2035 zero-emissions vehicle deadline expires. Namely, they hope that the EU will loosen the rules.

To address the gap, the EU plans to tighten the utility factor, a formula used to adjust official CO₂ ratings to better detect how these cars are actually driven.

However, the lobby of European car manufacturers is pressuring the EU to abandon these planned changes. Environmental group Transport & Environment (T&E) insists the EU should stand firm, stressing that PHEVs are still worse for the climate than advertised.

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