Los PHEV plug-in hybrids They pollute three times as much as they promised because there are drivers who don’t even bother to charge them. They are official data of the European Commission. Furthermore, they usually have approved consumption that is not very faithful to reality. Seeing that a 727 HP BMW M5 approves an average consumption of only 1.4 l/100 km, one cannot help but think that the approval of the consumption of plug-in hybrids is not very serious.
So are PHEVs a scam by the manufacturers or a bad move by the European Union? Let’s say they are the object of a huge misunderstanding. Europe has imposed starting this 2026 and new homologation cycle exclusively for PHEVs. Integrated into the Euro 6e bismuch more severe that should put an end to the Vespino consumption that is approved, for example, by 2.5-ton gasoline SUVs.
Goodbye to the approved consumption of one liter per 100 km
A good part of the misunderstanding of PHEVs is due to their homologation cycle and the resulting consumption and CO₂ emissions. Most PHEVs tend to have approved average consumption of between 1 and 2.5 l/100 km, even if they are powerful luxury sedans or heavy SUVs.
Expressing the average consumption of a PHEV in liters/100 km measured from time to time does not make much sense, given that this type of engine implies, by its very nature, considerable variations in its appetite for fuel or kWh, depending on use.
WLTP emissions versus actual emissions by mechanical type. Source: European Commission
The energy efficiency of a PHEV hybrid It is also directly related to the capacity of its battery, which usually allows a theoretical range of between 50 to 100 km in electric mode. The larger the battery, the lower the approved average consumption. Therefore, in theory, it is quite possible to achieve the ridiculously low figures that emerge from the measurement cycles, such as the 1 l/100 km of the BMW 750e limousine.
Although it seems obvious, it is not always obvious for everyone, but to achieve such extremely low consumption You have to use the car as much as possible in 100% electric mode. And, of course, avoid long trips on fast roads with a discharged battery. This being the worst use that can be made of this type of motor from an energy point of view. According to a report from the European Commission that has analyzed real consumption data from thousands of PHEVs, most drivers don’t even bother to charge them.
In practice, many drivers who have opted for this type of car do not have a place to recharge it often, while many others are not aware that they drive two cars in one, a hybrid and an electric one that must be recharged as often as possible. ). Hence the considerable difference between actual use and the WLTP approvals used to date, according to the EU report.
A tougher homologation protocol from January 1
The new 727 HP BMW M5 has an average consumption of 1.7 l/100 km. It is perfectly possible to achieve that consumption…if its 585 HP V8 is almost never used.
LThe Euro 6e bis standard came into force on January 1, 2025 with a revised homologation protocol applicable to PHEV models approved after that date and not to those already in circulation. The new methodology is supposed to be more representative of real driving conditions.
Thus, the test distance (simulated on a roller bench) has been increased from 800 km to 2,200 kmwith a higher proportion of driving with an empty battery, which is mathematically less favorable to the extrapolated averages. And that seems to be the most common way to use these cars.
In addition, the temperature ranges during testing have been expanded. Before they were made between 0 and 30 °C, for “normal conditions”, when now they are between 0 and 35 °C. As for “extreme conditions”, the temperatures at which consumption is measured will be between 35 and 38°C. These are harsher temperatures for the battery, which should increase gasoline consumption, but a priori, the tests will continue to be done with the air conditioning off.
This change is only the first step, since the norm Euro 6e bis FCMwhich will come into force in 2027, the reference distance will increase to 4,260 km.
The new Cupra Leon eHybrid really consumes little gasoline and is efficient with a depleted battery, but it is not nearly enough to spend the 0.4 l/100 km that it officially approves.
To illustrate how these changes in the reference distance, now more than 2,000 km, affect the CO₂ emissions of PHEVs, the NGO ICCT (International Council on Clean Transport) analyzed the effect on a BMW X1 xDrive25e PHEV. This SUV can travel a distance in electric mode of about 70 km in real conditions and currently approves an average of 0.7 l/100 km for 15 g/km of CO₂.
Using the new Euro 6e-bis values, this would translate into an official CO₂ emissions value of approximately 96 g/km (average consumption of 4.2 l/100 km). And using the Euro 6e bis FCM values, the approved emissions would be 122 g/km (average consumption of 5.3 l/100 km).
A priori, with this new system we should stop seeing approved consumption of less than a liter per 100 km and instead see more realistic figures in an attempt to make potential buyers aware that if they do not recharge the battery, their car will consume, at best. cases as a hybrid, and in the worst cases, much more.
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Furthermore, this new homologation cycle will have consequences at the fiscal levell, like in Spain where the registration tax It is calculated based on the car’s CO₂ emissions. At the moment, almost all PHEVs are exempt from registration tax, this could change.
However, not everything is black for the brands, at least for many of the Chinese brands, which plan to launch PHEV models in Europe. And unlike European models, Chinese manufacturers are launching more and more extended-range electric models, but due to their internal combustion engine they are considered PHEVs. And these, as General Motors demonstrated almost 20 years ago with the Opel Ampera and Chevrolet Volt duo -before killing them-, are inherently more efficient than a gasoline car to which a battery is added.
Source: www.motorpasion.com
