Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 9, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleHybrid cars exceed EU CO2 targets, with real-world emissions similar to petrol cars. T&E urges policy revisions to address discrepancies.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Hybrid cars release far more carbon dioxide than their official ratings indicate and should not qualify as low-emission vehicles to meet European Union targets, a report by transport research and campaign group T&E said on Wednesday.
European auto executives are expected to air their complaints about EU CO2 emissions targets at a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday to discuss the EU sector's future.
In a letter two weeks ago, the two main EU automobile associations said plug-in electric vehicles would play a vital role and urged Brussels not to tighten rules on them.
T&E said data from the European Environmental Agency showed real-world emissions were more than 130 grams of CO2 per kilometre for PHEV models, equivalent to a mid-size petrol car and nearly five times the official values of less than 30.
"Plug-in hybrids are being marketed as low-emission vehicles, but actually if you compare them to petrol cars in real-world performance, they're very, very similar," said T&E executive director William Todts.
T&E said a main cause for the discrepancy between real-world and official ratings was an overly optimistic assessment of the share of vehicle operations powered only by electricity - known as the utility factor.
The Commission plans to revise this in 2025/2026 and 2027/28, when T&E said the gap would narrow, although real-world emissions would still be 18% above official figures.
T&E said the changes should persuade automakers to increase the range of batteries in hybrids to make them more electric.
In 2024, while EU new electric vehicle sales dropped to a 13.6% market share, plug-in and other hybrids made up 38%, according to EU automaker association ACEA.
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop)
The report states that hybrid cars release significantly more carbon dioxide than their official ratings suggest, indicating they should not qualify as low-emission vehicles under EU targets.
According to T&E, real-world emissions for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) exceed 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer, similar to mid-size petrol cars.
T&E recommends that automakers increase the battery range in hybrids to enhance their electric-only operation and reduce emissions.
In 2024, new electric vehicle sales represented a 13.6% market share, while plug-in hybrids accounted for 38%, according to the EU automaker association ACEA.
The European Commission plans to revise emission standards in 2025/2026 and 2027/28, although T&E predicts real-world emissions will still be 18% above official figures.
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