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– It shows once again shocking CO2 figures for rechargeable hybrids in the real world, writes the organization Transport & Environment after looking at the actual consumption of cars.
There have been a plethora of reports in recent years that have tried to figure out whether electric cars are better than gasoline and diesel.
Although the results vary somewhat, most reports seem to agree that the overall bills for electric cars are significantly better, at least if the electricity production is more or less renewable.
But what about rechargeable hybrids?
Test: Mercedes GLE 350de plug-in hybrid
The perfect combination?
Rechargeable hybrids have made significant strides in recent years. The basic idea is that cars can run on electricity in daily life, but at the same time take long trips from time to time without worrying about autonomy and queuing at charging stations. On paper, the emissions are also very low.
And after the arrival of the new models, the battery capacity has become good enough.
Test: After a week and two range tests with the Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid, the verdict is clear: Wow! (+)
– Completely different emissions in reality
In a new report from the well-known organization Transport & Environment (T&E), however, it is stated that cars actually have much higher fuel consumption and emissions.
Based on nine different reports on how rechargeable hybrids are actually used in Europe, T&E concludes that rechargeable hybrids on average have consumption and emissions that are 2.65 times higher than their emissions on paper after the now obsolete NEDC emissions test. .
Test: BMW X3 xDrive30e rechargeable hybrid
By comparison, emissions from hybrids are 1.48 times higher and emissions from gasoline and diesel cars are 1.39 times higher.
According to T&E, the consequence of this is that rechargeable hybrids are only slightly better than hybrid cars when it comes to clean emissions over their lifetime:
– The CO2 emissions of a typical rechargeable hybrid are about 117 grams CO2 / km, which is only slightly better than a normal hybrid that averages 135 grams CO2 / km.
Over its useful life, a new rechargeable hybrid will emit approximately 28 tons of CO2, slightly less than a normal hybrid that will emit 33 tons. A new electric car will emit approximately 3.8 tons of the electricity it uses. It’s clear that rechargeable hybrids are much more comparable to traditional cars than electric cars, says T&E.
T&E believes the numbers are “shocking.”
“This report once again demonstrates the shocking CO2 figures for rechargeable hybrids in the real world,” writes T&E, according to motor.no.
Test: Mercedes GLC 300e rechargeable hybrid
The first-generation plug-in hybrids did not have a large battery to speak of, so the range was short and the actual consumption could be high, especially in winter.
In the analysis, they have not Taking into account the production of the cars, only the direct emissions from driving and the production of electricity. T&E has calculated CO2 emissions from electricity production in both rechargeable hybrids and electric cars at 100 grams of CO2 per kWh.
T&E claims that part of the reason rechargeable hybrids fare so badly is that some models run the gasoline engine, even when there is battery power and the car is in electric mode.
This is a well-known phenomenon, especially in first-generation rechargeable hybrids, where the gasoline engine is used to warm up in cold weather. Most of the newer models, on the other hand, can be forced into pure electric mode.
Test: Audi Q7 60 TFSIe plug-in hybrid
It is mainly about how the car is used.
One of the biggest challenges with rechargeable hybrids is that consumption will vary significantly with use.
The newer rechargeable hybrids typically have between 50 and 100 kilometers of pure electric range, which is much more than a normal daily commute. This means that cars can cover most of daily driving on electricity alone.
But many of the early rechargeable hybrids actually had a very short electric range, especially in winter, which meant many didn’t see the point of charging the car between trips. The fact that cars also started the gasoline engine when it was cold did not improve the situation.
In Norway, the problem became bigger because the rechargeable hybrids were much cheaper than the alternatives, while offering much more power. The best-selling Golf GTE, for example, was the most favorable option in terms of price and lightning speed, but neither party required that I actually have a home charging option.
No one yet knows how the new generation of longer range rechargeable hybrids will affect actual consumption.
Test: Opel Grandland X Hybrid4 plug-in hybrid
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