A new report by the European Commission shows that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles create much more emissions than we previously thought – by an average of 3.5 times as much as lab testing indicates.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) were thought to bring the best of both worlds – a large enough battery to take care of your daily tasks, paired with a gas engine for longer trips. There are downsides in cost and complexity, but the powertrain choice does provide more options than others.
For this reason, PHEVs have long been thought of as an ideal transitional technology between gas vehicles and electric ones. People would be able to do most of their driving on electricity and only occasionally use gas. The problem is… that doesn’t happen.
Source: Electrek: Read The Article
PSR Analysis: There have been a great number of reports that have echoed this in the past, with little follow-up action. Many traditional automotive manufacturers continue to mass produce these cars, which are often described as very little more than a marketing ploy. However, this report is important because it was produced by a government entity, rather than by NGOs. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
