Fixing the PHEV Real-world CO2 emissions of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are on average 2-4 times higher than official values1
Recommendations for the review of plug-in hybrid WLTP utility factorsReal-world CO2 emissions of plug-in hybrids are on average 2–4 times higher than official values, which for most PHEVs are less than 50g/km on paper. Almost 1 million of them will have been sold in the EU in 2021 alone — carmakers are pushing their sales because their unrealistically low official CO2 emissions allow them to easily meet their CO2 targets.
The real-world data on PHEV use will soon be available from on-board fuel consumption meters fitted to all cars sold in the EU from the start of 2021. Yet, the Commission is not planning to use that data fully until 2030, allowing polluting PHEVs to be sold for another decade. Basing UFs on a very limited data set in 2025-2030 risks, once again, underestimating the PHEVs real CO2 emissions.
Alongside implementing real-world UFs as soon as possible, the Commission also needs to ensure that UFs remain representative of PHEV use. The Commissions should therefore update UFs on an annual basis in line with the frequency of OBFCM data collection. To reward manufacturers which sell efficient