The sales pitch had been that motorists could use “clean” battery power for city jaunts and dirty petrol for longer trips. This promised sustainable travel without the anxiety of a limited range. But real‑world tests, by the European non-profit Transport and Environment, show that PHEVs emit just 19% less carbon dioxide than petrol and diesel cars – far short of the 75% claimed in the lab.
Europe is a battleground between climate necessity, commercial reality and political clout. Four big European automotive companies avoided more than €5bn in fines because emissions compliance was not judged on real-world data. Switching to electric cars seems an obvious step. Yet former Renault boss Luca de Meo said earlier this year that EVs won’t be the dominant technology in Europe for two decades. It’s not just a lack of buyers or engineering nous holding back EVs. It’s that Europe’s carmakers are keeping profits rolling in by squeezing cash from hybrids and petrol cars.
tl;dr; from the actual report: plug in hybrid emissions are pretty much the same as regular hybrid emissions, because their electric engines lack power and internal combustion engine kicks in way more than in the tests that got their lower emissions numbers.
19% is still significantly less, just not as awesome as 75% less.
No, it’s because the range is short and people don’t bother recharging.