Sawyer Merritt(@SawyerMerritt):Plug-in hybrid vehicles emit six times more CO₂ in real-world driving than official EU lab tests suggest. An analysis of data from 220,000 vehicles equipped with fuel monitors found that the average PHEV produces 145 g/km on the road, compared with 24 g/km on paper. The real-world emissions data, collected by the European Environment Agency in 2024, shows the gap has grown steadily worse. In 2021, PHEVs emitted 3.4x their official tested figure. By 2022, that ratio climbed to 4.2x. In 2023, it reached 4.9x. The 2024 data puts it at 6x. If you want the best option long term for the environment, buy an EV.

2026.09.08 14:22

Plug-in hybrid vehicles emit six times more CO₂ in real-world driving than official EU lab tests suggest. An analysis of data from 220,000 vehicles equipped with fuel monitors found that the average PHEV produces 145 g/km on the road, compared with 24 g/km on paper. The real-world emissions data, collected by the European Environment Agency in 2024, shows the gap has grown steadily worse. In 2021, PHEVs emitted 3.4x their official tested figure. By 2022, that ratio climbed to 4.2x. In 2023, it reached 4.9x. The 2024 data puts it at 6x. If you want the best option long term for the environment, buy an EV.