Green campaigners warn motorists off plug-in hybrid vehicles after their tests reveal they emit two-and-a-half times higher carbon dioxide than advertised
- Greenpeace and Transport & Environment analysed emissions of PHEVs
- The claimed they emit 117g/km of carbon dioxide on average in the real world
- That compares to the 44g/km CO2 suggested by official measurements in labs
- The green groups said PHEVs should be banned along with petrol and diesel cars
- Current UK deadline is 2040, but the ban could be fast-tracked by up to a decade
Carbon dioxide emissions from plug-in hybrid vehicles - also known as PHEVs - are an average of two-and-a-half times higher than official tests indicate, environmental campaigners have warned today.
Joint analysis by Greenpeace and Transport & Environment found that a typical PHEV emits 117g of CO2 per kilometre on the road, compared with the 44g suggested in official measurements conducted in laboratory conditions.
They said the higher damaging impact of these vehicles means new versions should be banned from showrooms along with all models with internal combustion engines at the earliest opportunity.
Hybrid cars will be banned from sale alongside petrol and diesel models in the UK from 2040, under current proposals, though Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to accelerate that deadline to 2035 - and potentially even sooner.
PHEV concerns: Carbon dioxide emissions from plug-in hybrid vehicles are an average of two-and-a-half times higher than official tests indicate, environmental campaigners have warned
Plug-in hybrids, like the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, run on a battery charged with electricity from the grid or through a conventionally-fuelled engine.
They are marketed as low-carbon alternatives to petrol and diesel, as at low speeds - such as driving through towns and cities - they can fully operate using their battery and electric motors alone - granted the driver has fully charged the batteries by plugging the car into the mains.
However, when drivers takes these cars onto faster-moving roads, they revert to their combustion engines. And due to the extra weight of the battery onboard, the polluting motor has to work even harder to haul the additional bulk.
The environmental groups claim the limited electric range of the vehicles and owners not charging their batteries as often as possible increases their CO2 emissions.
The analysis is based on data from a variety of sources and represents around 20,000 PHEVs driven across Europe.
Plug-in hybrids, like the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (pictured), run on a battery charged with electricity from the grid or through a conventionally-fuelled engine
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has indicated that a ban on sales of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans could be brought forward from 2040 in a bid to meet carbon reduction targets.
While 2035 appears to be the favoured date, there are calls for the deadline to be fast-tracked to 2030, which would bring Britain in-line with with countries including Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden .
Greenpeace UK's head of politics Rebecca Newsom 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.
'It's great that the Government is considering bringing the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles forward to 2030, doing so is one of the most important things the Government can do now to help tackle the climate emergency.
'But ministers mustn't be duped by plug-in hybrids when making this critical decision. It's imperative that they are included in the 2030 ban, and that support is provided to enable workers to transition to electric vehicle manufacturing.'
The campaign groups said plug-in hybrids should not avoid the proposed ban on the sale of new car with internal combustion engines in the next two decades, which governments will enforce as part of efforts to reduce air pollution
Greg Archer, UK director of Transport & Environment, added: '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.'
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, acknowledged there are difference between lab tests and real-world use of cars.
But he accused the pressure groups of analysing figures that 'government and industry abandoned two years ago' in favour of a 'more robust' test.
He went on: 'Even the report's assumed figures show plug-in hybrid vehicles provide more than a 30% overall reduction in emissions compared to petrol or diesel.
'PHEVs also provide a flexibility few other technologies can yet match with extended range for longer, out of town journeys, and battery power in urban areas, reducing emissions and improving city air quality.
'PHEV range and performance will continue to improve meaning that, for many users, they are the essential stepping stone to a fully electric vehicle.'
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