Another study shows plug-in hybrids are dirtier than we thought
Plug-in hybrids pollute up to three times more than advertised, even when fully charged, and emit five to seven times as much CO2 when the engine is running, according to a new study commissioned by Belgian NGO Transport & Environment and conducted by the University of Technology in Graz, Austria.
The study measured emissions from three popular models: the BMW 3 series, Peugeot 308, and Renault Megane. Like many plug-in hybrids, these cars started as gas/diesel-powered models and then a battery was added on to improve emissions testing performance and mileage.
Each of the vehicles were tested in real-world situations, replicating city driving, commuting, and extended commuting scenarios in and around Graz, Austria. In all of the tests, the cars performed worse than official WLTP ratings would indicate.
In a few of the tests, the Peugeot and Renault occasionally performed close to WLTP ratings – within about 20%. But the BMW, in all tests, fared much worse.
In recent years, many European city centers have started cracking down on pollution and announcing bans on combustion vehicle transport within the most densely populated areas. This has led carmakers to introduce geofenced “electric-only” modes, which automatically turn on in areas where combustion engine use is restricted.
T&E tested the cars in their all-electric modes as well and found them lacking. Not only did all three cars have less pure-electric city range than WLTP testing indicates, but BMW’s geofenced “eDrive Zone” mode failed to guarantee emissions free city driving, with the engine turning on twice during testing.
Many plug-in hybrids have “battery conservation” engine-only modes, which allow a driver to switch on the engine manually in order to charge the battery to ensure reserve charge for when they get to their destination, whether that be a city center or some other location the driver wishes to drive emissions-free. T&E’s testing found that, when in “battery conservation” mode, all three cars had dramatically higher emissions, five to seven times as high as WLTP averages suggest.
Because official tests underestimate emissions, each automaker’s fleet average emissions are dragged down by these unrealistic estimates. This results in financial benefits for the automakers as they can avoid fines for high pollution. T&E estimates that these financial benefits measure in the thousands per PHEV sold: 6,900 euros for Renault; 8,200 euros for BMW; and 9,300 euros for Peugeot (Stellantis).
Or put another way, if PHEV emissions were properly accounted for, automakers would have to sell an additional 247,000 fully-electric vehicles in Europe to bring their fleet emissions down to the level it is currently at. In this way, PHEVs are actually harming BEV sales by allowing automakers to get away with high emissions.
On top of these compliance benefits of thousands of euros per vehicle, PHEVs have also received 350 million euros in direct subsidies across Europe in 2022. A majority of these subsidies came in Germany, where PHEVs leased as company cars are given tremendous benefits but are often treated as gas cars and never plugged in, exacerbating the problem of high PHEV emissions.
This is not the first time T&E has done a similar study. In 2020, it commissioned another test on the BMW X5, Volvo XC90 and Mitsubishi Outlander, all of which, again, polluted much more than official testing suggests.
And T&E’s results echo previous studies by the ICCT, the group which first blew the whistle on Volkswagen’s dieselgate scandal. These studies found that both in the US and Europe, PHEVs use much more fuel than government labeling claims.
T&E ended their findings with policy recommendations for governments to better account for real-world emissions from PHEVs, which looked relatively similar to ICCT’s recommendations from their previous study. Here are T&E’s key recommendations:
- PHEVs should not be treated as zero emission even if they have geo-fencing capability.
- PHEV ownership and company car benefit-in-kind taxation should be based on the actual CO2 reduction delivered by individual PHEVs in the real world.
- Privately owned PHEVs should not receive purchase subsidies. Where these exist (e.g. in early BEV markets), they should be based on performance criteria, such as: a minimum electric range of 80km, the power of electric motor at least equal to the power of the ICE, capability to fast charge and maximum engine only CO2 of 139 g/km.
- No purchase subsidies should be given to company cars.
- Official PHEV CO2 emissions need to be regularly updated with real world data.
- The option to charge the PHEV using the internal combustion engine should be removed by carmakers.
- Carmakers should educate and reward PHEV drivers for driving electrically.
Toyota’s chief scientist Gill Pratt recently made some headlines by suggesting that the world would benefit more from hybridizing transportation rather than electrifying it. This claim was dismantled by Auke Hoekstra, a researcher from Eindhoven Technical University who spends much of his time debunking EV myths. But studies like this, showing that hybrids pollute more than we thought, suggest that Toyota’s estimates may need some modification.
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Slate Auto, a new EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has poached a key Tesla manufacturing leader to build its electric pickup truck factory in Indiana.
Napoleon Reyes is a US Marine from Indiana who got a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue after leaving the force.
He then worked a few years at Subaru and Wabash before joining Tesla’s manufacturing team at the Fremont Factory in 2020.
There, he became part of the Model Y production ramp and was quickly promoted to lead the Model Y General Assembly in Fremont in 2022.
Reyes led Model Y GA, one of the most critical parts of vehicle manufacturing, for more than a year before being promoted again to lead new pilot processes at the factory.
Most recently, he led the launch of the general assembly line for the Model Y refresh.
The new engineering manager announced this week that he is leaving Tesla to join Slate:
A bit late on the post but after nearly 5 years working at Tesla in Fremont, I made the difficult decision to leave the Company and move closer to home with my family. It was an incredible experience being part of multiple line expansions and multiple Model Y program launches. Leading and managing the Model Y Refresh launch for GA in Fremont this year tested me professionally however we ultimately succeeded due to our amazing cross functional team collaboration. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with such great people, and I will forever be proud and thankful for everything we accomplished together.
I will be taking on a new role as Senior Manager, Plant Vehicle Engineering at Slate Auto in Warsaw, In.
Slate emerged from stealth mode earlier this year to unveil a new type of electric pickup truck featuring modular customization and an affordable price.
The company raised over $700 million through two rounds of investments from several different investors, including Jeff Bezos. It is currently raising more, which basically guarantees that it will be able to reach production.
The startup acquired a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana. It is currently converting to manufacture its electric pickup with a team from legacy automakers and also several former engineers and leaders from Tesla.
Rich Schmidt, an early Tesla manufacturing director, is the head of manufacturing.
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Genesis is preparing to shake things up with its most luxurious SUV yet, the GV90. Thanks to a new patent filing, we are getting a detailed look at how its Rolls-Royce-style coach doors will work.
New patent reveals Genesis GV90 coach door system
When Genesis first unveiled the full-size SUV at the NY Auto Show last March, it wasn’t the stunning design or advanced tech that caught everyone’s attention. It was the coach doors.
Although we were worried it wouldn’t make it to the production model, like many concepts, the Genesis GV90 will be offered with coach doors.
The ultra-luxe electric SUV was first caught with coach doors earlier this year on a car carrier in South Korea. Just last month, the GV90 was spotted in California with a hinge at the rear to open the coach doors.
After several new patents were filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for new door latching devices, we are getting a sneak peek at how they are expected to work.
The patents, titled “Cinching Device For Door Latches in Vehicle,” and “Door Latch Device for Vehicles,” give a pretty detailed explanation of how the Genesis GV90’s coach doors will operate. The “Door Latch Device” uses a door striker on the lower side of the door, which is opened or closed by a hinge unit.
Unlike traditional doors, which use the B-pillar for support, the device is attached directly to the door itself, allowing for hinge-like movement.
The cinching device works in a similar way. It’s also attached to the door and part of the vehicle. However, unlike most of its kind, Genesis found a way to use a single cinching device to control multiple units. Again, the device is used for B-pillarless doors that swing open.
Genesis already said that B-pillarless coach doors are now feasible in production vehicles. The patent reveals a glimpse into how the luxury automaker could make it a reality.
Although the Genesis GV90 is expected to be offered with coach doors, they will likely not be standard. Other variants, with traditional door handles, have also been spotted testing in the US and South Korea.
Genesis is expected to launch the GV90 in mid-2026. It will be built at Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in South Korea. The flagship Genesis SUV is scheduled to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which the company said will “provide 50% improvement in driving range.” It will also be loaded with the latest technology, software, connectivity, and Level 3 or higher autonomous driving capabilities.
Source: USPTO
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Environment
Podcast: Tesla Model YL, more Tesla probes and lawsuits, new Nissan Leaf pricing, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the launch of the Tesla Model YL, more Tesla probes and lawsuits, new Nissan Leaf pricing, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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