A study by the environmental NGO ICCT revealed that real-world CO2 emissions from plug-in hybrid vehicles were 4.6 times higher than official values in 2023. This means these cars emit up to five times more CO2 on the road than in laboratory tests.
The ICCT organization explains that drivers of these vehicles charge them less often than predicted and drive less in electric mode than estimated by the European Union. This difference between real-world usage and official data contributes to the disparity in emissions.
The ICCT study is based on real-world fuel and electricity consumption data, allowing for a more precise comparison with the values announced by manufacturers. This research highlights the limitations of laboratory tests in reflecting real-world driving conditions.
