TURIN – Plug-in hybrid cars pollute more than is stated. The spotlight on dual-fuel cars is a study by the Technical University of Graz commissioned by Transport&Environment. Analysis that denies the data advertised by BMW, Peugeot and Renault. On the home-work journey, emissions are up to three times higher than the declared values. For Elena Lake, T&E Italia, “it is time to treat hybrid cars on the basis of their actual emissions, abolishing their purchase incentives. Much better to support electric vehicles”.
Already two years ago, T&E had found that on longer journeys this technology, which combines an electric battery with a combustion engine, polluted much more than the values disclosed by the manufacturers. In the last road test carried out by the Austrian university, three recent plug-in models (Phev) – a BMW 3 Series, a Peugeot 308 and a Renault Megane – emitted a higher amount of CO2 than advertised, even if they started with the full battery. Tests were performed both on a typical commuter route, from out of town into the urban area, and on a city commute. “On the way from home to work, BMW emitted three times its declared value, while the Peugeot 308 and Renault Megane plug-in hybrids respectively released 20% and 70% more CO2, despite the relative shortness of the journey. (55 km) and despite the fact that the batteries were fully charged”, underlined by the association.
“Plug-in hybrids are sold as the perfect compromise between a battery for local needs and an engine suitable for long distances. But road tests prove it’s a legend,” says Lake. He adds: “In city trials, only one of the three PHEVs tested confirmed the advertised electric range, while all three emitted more than advertised in commuter driving.”
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In city driving, the range in electric mode of the Peugeot was just over half (53%) of what was claimed. That of BMW stopped at 74%. The test on the Renault instead confirmed the advertised range. The latter, however, amounts to just 50 km for a “full” battery and without the possibility of fast charging. Two aspects that make the use of the Renault in electric mode limited on the typical commuter routes of European cities.
“In 2022, the Italian State has allocated 770 million euros to support the purchase of plug-in hybrid vehicles up to 2024, despite the fact that this technology has shown that it is not really sustainable” concludes Lake. “For this reason it is necessary to abolish the privileges enjoyed by these vehicles, proceed immediately to reform the taxation of cars based on actual CO2 emissions, eliminate the exemptions from paying the road tax and eliminate the incentives for hybrid vehicles as well as internal combustion ones. On the other hand, it is necessary to encourage the purchase of electric models, the only ones with truly zero emissions”.