Plug-in hybrids are pure scams, according to Swiss researchers. They consume an average of 230 percent more than is stated and do not deserve to be subsidized by the government.
The Swiss canton of Valais has commissioned a study into the environmental benefits of plug-in hybrids. But it turns out that these advantages are not so good. Test drives on a dynamometer show that plug-in hybrids consume about 230 percent more petrol than is stated by the manufacturers. Instead of 1.5 to 2.0 liters per 100 kilometres, the researchers came to 4.0 to 7.0 liters per 100 kilometres.
Plug-in hybrids combine worst feature of fuel cars and EVs
Pure scam, they call plug-in hybrids. The cars combine the worst characteristic of models with an internal combustion engine (the emissions) with those of EVs (the high weight). Plug-in hybrids have a larger battery than regular hybrids, with which they can travel an electric distance, often between 50 and 100 kilometers. They are most efficient if they are consistently placed at the charging station to maintain the battery level.
Even if you faithfully charge your plug-in hybrid, you will not reach the WLTP consumption
But even if you are so disciplined, a plug hybrid is nowhere near the stated WLTP consumption, according to the Swiss researchers. If you leave the battery empty and you go on the road anyway, the petrol engine has to work much harder than in a fuel car, because of the high weight it has to carry. And that has repercussions on efficiency, which plummets.
Swiss canton of Valais has abolished subsidies for plug-in hybrids
Plug-in hybrids are only interesting in the city, the analysts conclude, because then they can make optimal use of the fully electric mode. As a result of the results of the study, the canton of Valais has decided to abolish the subsidies for plug-in hybrids. In the Netherlands, plug-in drivers pay only 50 percent of the road tax.
They’re fake electric cars built for lab testing
It is not the first time that a study has been negative for plug-in hybrids. The English organization Transport & Environment concluded that they are “fake electric cars”, “built for lab testing and tax breaks, not for real-world use.” The conclusion was: “Even in ideal conditions, with a full battery, the cars emit much more than in the ad. Only if you drive slowly, the CO2 emissions are limited, otherwise not.”