Plug-in hybrid: The green paint is peeling off

Plug-in hybrid: The green paint is peeling off

Late, but nevertheless, Germany is accelerating in electromobility. With 82,802 newly registered electric cars in December, sales increased sevenfold (+629 percent) compared to the same month last year, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority. The electric share of the overall car market also reached a new high of 26.6 percent. One in four new cars is already electric. This meant that for the first time the share of electric cars was higher than that of diesel cars, which was reported to be 26.2 percent at the end of 2020. In 2020 as a whole, electric cars achieved a market share of 13.5 percent, and new registrations were 263 percent above the previous year's level.

A green deception?

At 39,107 units, almost half of all new registrations in December were plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). However, it is precisely this type of vehicle - often propagated by the car industry as the best of both worlds (emission-free on short journeys, but otherwise also with a normal range) - that is repeatedly criticized. Environmental associations are a thorn in the side of hybrid cars and the lavish funding that the state provides for them. The accusation: Their CO2 emissions are much higher than the manufacturers claim, which means that these vehicles are usually not really environmentally friendly.

Last year, for example, the European environmental umbrella organization “Transport & Environment” (T & E) had three popular plug-in hybrids (BMW X5, Volvo XC60 and Mitsubishi Outlander) examined in real operation. Result: The CO₂-Emissions from the three cars are 28 to 89 percent higher than the official values, even with a full battery and under optimal test conditions. If the vehicles were driven purely in combustion mode, emissions increased three to eight times. The test was carried out by the UK-based Emissions Analytics institute.

A study commissioned by the Federal Environment Ministry has now been made public which shows that the boom in these vehicles is even endangering the climate goals in transport, as they are generally driven primarily by combustion engines in daily operation. The study carried out by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu), the Öko-Institut and “Transport & Environment” expects around 2.6 million plug-in hybrid cars in Germany in 2030. Based on the theoretical standard consumption, they would emit around 2.4 million tons of CO2 in one year. In practice, however, according to scientists, it will be 6.7 million tons. At least if the current low proportion of electric driving remains. In this case, up to 4.3 million tons of additional CO2 emissions are expected from part-time electric vehicles by 2030.

But even with more electrical discipline, according to the study in question, the target value will be missed: If daily charging is gradually made standard by 2030, the additional emissions will be around 0.8 million tons. The authors of the study estimate that, based on current knowledge, the CO2 target in the transport sector of 95 million tonnes for 2030 will be exceeded by around 30 million tonnes of CO2. From an environmental policy perspective, the support from purchase bonuses and tax advantages should be urgently reviewed, say the experts.

“Trailblazer for e-mobility”

For example, the renowned “Handelsblatt” promptly titled its report: “Plug-in hybrids are becoming a climate problem.” The German manufacturers' association VDA reacts sniffily and jumps to the side of plug-in hybrids: "While electromobility is developing a high growth dynamic in Germany, some critics are trying to badmouth this type of drive. We believe this to be wrong. Plug-in hybrids have been proven to make an important contribution to effective climate protection," said association president Hildegard Müller in a press release. Plug-in hybrids are “pioneers for electromobility” and are also classified as such by the German federal government’s National Platform for the Future of Mobility (NPM), said Müller. And further: “If studies carried out on behalf of the Federal Environment Ministry now come to the conclusion that plug-in hybrids endanger the climate goals in transport, then this borders on deliberately misleading consumers.”

In fact, the opposite of the allegations is true: an NPM task force certifies that plug-in hybrids have the potential to reduce CO₂-To be able to significantly reduce emissions in road traffic. In conjunction with the use of alternative fuels, they could be an integral part of the drive portfolio of the future. Müller: "We are convinced that plug-in hybrids are a central instrument for quickly achieving measurable progress in climate protection. With increasing electric ranges and improved charging infrastructure, the proportion of driving with electric drives is also increasing."

PHEVs currently have an average electric range of around 50 to 70 kilometers. The first plug-in models with ranges of 80 to 100 kilometers are already available or announced. According to MiD (Mobility in Germany), almost 99 percent of daily journeys in Germany can be made using electric drives. This corresponds to 75 percent of the total annual mileage. "Plug-in hybrids take away people's worries about short ranges. They can be used for all mobility needs, from daily commuting to work with electric drives to long journeys with clean combustion engines," says the VDA President. This would actually represent the 'best of both worlds'. According to Müller, the NPM expert group also comes to the conclusion that hybrid technology helps to spread out job cuts in the transformation phase of the automotive industry.

1 charging point for 17 cars

All market participants, experts and observers agree on one thing: the problem child for the expansion of electromobility remains the charging infrastructure. And this is apparently not keeping pace with the growth in new registrations of electric cars. According to the German Federal Network Agency, there are currently 34,056 publicly accessible charging points in Germany. With a fleet of around 580,000 electric cars at the beginning of the year, 17 electric cars now have to share a publicly accessible charging point. In May 2020 there were still around 10. There is a great need for action here, including in Austria.Mitte

This is especially true since electromobility has apparently already reached the mainstream of society: in December, private owners accounted for the majority of new registrations of electric cars (41 percent). Company car buyers made up the second largest owner group in the new electric car market with 31 percent, followed by other owner groups such as landlords, car sharing and vehicle dealers with 28 percent.