Hybrid cars are a wolf in sheep’s clothing, emissions report claims

PLUG-IN hybrid cars are a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” that emit more than 2.5 times the amount of carbon emissions in the real world than in lab tests, according to new analysis.

While lab tests suggest that PHEVS emit on average 44g of carbon dioxide per kilometre, analysis by Transport & Environment, an NGO that campaigns for cleaner transport, suggests that in the real world the cars actually emit 117g per kilometre on average. That compares to 164-167g of CO2 per kilometre from petrol and diesel cars.

The analysis found that drivers often failed to charge their cars, and that some engines automatically switched on even when in battery mode, which made it “almost impossible” for them to be driven as zero-emission vehicles.

All of the 10 top-selling plug-ins hybrids in the UK automatically switch on the car’s engine as soon as external temperatures drop below 14C, in order to keep the car warm for passengers.

Greg Archer, the UK director of Transport & Environment, said:

“PHEVS are not electric cars and claims that in cities plug-in hybrids have zero emissions are just mischievous, misleading marketing. Unless the battery is frequently charged, these fake electric cars are actually worse for the climate than conventional cars.”

The models make up about 3.3 per cent of new cars sold in the UK in the past year – nearly three times the figure for the previous year.

Greenpeace, which supported the research, said it showed plug-in hybrids should be included in any future ban on petrol and diesel cars, which the Government is consulting on enforcing from as early as 2030.

The Government initially announced its intention to include hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars in the ban, but is reportedly reconsidering under pressure from the motoring industry. Greenpeace also called for the phasing out of subsidies, which can see companies pay less than half the tax than on a regular car.

Rebecca Newsom, Greenpeace head of politics, said: “Plug-in hybrids are the car industry’s wolf in sheep’s clothing. They may seem a much more environmentally friendly choice but false claims of lower emissions are a ploy by car manufacturers to go on producing SUVS and petrol and diesel engines.”

However, the Society of Motor Manufacturers said the report was flawed because it relied on tests that were no longer in use.

Mike Hawes, its chief executive said: “Even the report’s assumed figures show plug-in hybrid vehicles provide more than a 30 per cent overall reduction in emissions.

“PHEV range and performance will continue to improve meaning that, for many users, they are the essential stepping stone to a fully electric vehicle.”

One survey suggested that around half of all road users said they would never buy an EV because of concerns over charging, range, and cost.