Volvo XC70 PHEV. Credit: Volvo
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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 sales¹. 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.
