• Plug-in hybrid Biggest study yet shows plug-in hybrids use over 300% more fuel than claimed The largest real-world study yet, accounting for nearly a million plug-in hybrid vehicles, shows that PEVs use far more gasoline than previously claimed. • The study comes just as Europe is about to change PHEV regulations, with industry lobbying to maintain the current highly inaccurate numbers. • There are a lot of different types of electric vehicles out there, enough to confuse even those who follow the industry. • BEV, FCEV, EREV, PHEV, and so on. • We here atElectrektend to prefer and report on battery electric vehicles, sometimes referred to as “all-electric.” But another option, favored by some, are plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), vehicles with both an internal combustion and electric powertrain existing side by side in the same car. • These can either run off of a battery or a gas engine, theoretically adding flexibility and covering for the weaknesses of each powertrain.
Article Summaries:
- A Fraunhofer Institute study of 981,035 plug‑in hybrids (PHEVs) across Europe found that these vehicles consume more than three times the fuel the EU’s WLTP testing cycle predicts. While regulators estimate an average of 1.57 L/100 km (~150 MPGe), the real‑world data show an average of 6.12 L/100 km (~38 MPGe). The analysis also revealed higher fuel use even when the cars operate in electric‑driven “charge‑depleting” mode. The findings arrive as Europe prepares to revise PHEV regulations, with industry lobbying to keep the current, now‑questionable fuel‑efficiency figures.
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