In the fight against CO2 emissions, the plug-in hybrid currently seems to be the weapon. Natuur & Milieu, however, raises the alarm and states that these hybrids are ‘more polluting’ than regular diesel and petrol cars.
A study by the European transport and environmental federation Transport & Environment would show that plug-in hybrids in practice emit an average of 117 grams of CO2 per kilometer, against 44 grams according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Although these concrete figures are new, the fact that plug-ins in practice quickly emit more CO2 than predicted is not. After all, consumption and CO2 emissions depend entirely on how much the car is plugged in in practice, which becomes an increasingly difficult task on much longer journeys. Petrol and diesel cars are good for an average of 164 and 167 grams per kilometer, according to the same standards, which are remarkable figures given the lower consumption of diesels.
‘Polluting’
Although Natuur & Milieu incorrectly classifies CO2 emissions as ‘pollution’, the higher consumption of plug-in hybrids naturally also produces more particulate matter.
At 117 against 160 grams, the difference in CO2 emissions between plug-ins and traditionally powered cars is still considerable, but for Natuur & Milieu it is not enough. In fact, the headline above the press release states that plug-ins are ‘nearly as polluting’ as petrol and diesel cars, which the figures don’t seem to fully support.
Rob van Tilburg, Director of Programs of Nature & Environment, explains: “Plug-in hybrids are misleading consumers: They may seem like a much more environmentally-friendly choice, but false claims of lower emissions are a trick by car manufacturers to sell SUVs and continue to produce petrol and diesel engines, bypass the European CO2 standards that have been in force since this year and avoid billions of euros in fines. Due to the existence of this intermediate form, the necessary transition to truly sustainable and fully electric road transport is only delayed. People who take a ‘green step’ by purchasing a plug-in hybrid are not making the profit they would like by far, and the purchase of a fully electric car often ends up in the long run. ”
95 grams
Nature & Environment has at least partly a point, as PHEVs are indeed a way for car manufacturers to get the average CO2 emissions of the entire fleet below the European standard of 95 grams per kilometer. With their theoretical CO2 emissions of (often) around 50 grams per kilometer, plug-ins make a significant contribution to achieving that goal. How that works out in practice depends almost entirely on the user.