Are plug-in hybrids as green as they look? Car News

The pressure works. The EU is “discussing” plans to change the PHEV test from 2025, according to Reuters reports in February.

EU plans, copied by the UK, already called for an assessment of data collected on all cars, including PHEVs, by June 1, 2023. If they find that emissions data is excessively erroneous (which will almost certainly be the case), the EU will put in place in 2027 “a mechanism for adjusting the manufacturer’s average specific CO2 emissions from 2030”.

This means that PHEVs will cease to be a useful tool for reducing overall emissions.

PHEVs have become an extremely important technology for automakers to reduce their average CO2 emissions, especially for premium brands.

Last year, eight of the top 10 best-selling PHEVs in the UK were made by premium brands, led by the BMW 330e, according to figures from SMMT. In fact, the 330e M Sport was BMW’s best-selling model in the first three quarters of the year, according to Ministry of Transport figures, while the Mercedes-Benz A250e AMG Line was Stuttgart’s bestseller. .

Ford also relies heavily on plug-in hybrids to reduce emissions, particularly the Ford Kuga PHEV. “It’s a risk-free way to get electrified,” Ford UK chief Lisa Brankin said at the SMMT Electrified conference on March 23. Automakers insist they are used as intended. “Most people, most of the time, run on battery power because of the way their commutes are structured,” Brankin said.