Official WLTP consumption figures of 1 or 2 l/100 km, CO2 emissions of 30 g/km… It must be admitted that the figures put forward by manufacturers for their plug-in hybrid models are something barely believable. But it's all going to change. To the great chagrin of organizations campaigning for 100% electric in Europe, such as Transport & Environment, or the ICCT (International Council on Clean Transport).
Several years ago, these lobbies launched a campaign explaining, precisely, that these vehicles were very rarely used correctly, and that they were therefore very polluting. They therefore recommended that the approvals of plug-ins be reviewed, to make them less attractive to the public. And of course, Europe followed them.
Times two
Thus, all new plug-in hybrid vehicles that will be launched on the market from January 1, 2025 will be approved according to a new standard called Euro 6e-bis. To simplify, the tests were previously carried out over a simulated distance of 800 km, it will now be 2,200 km. And the effect will be to roughly double the WLTP values of the plug-ins. Note that from December 31 of this year, all plug-in hybrids will be affected by the new calculation, including those that have already been on the market for several years. The standard will be revised again in 2027, with a simulated distance of 4,260 km. In short, this will make it even more difficult for manufacturers to comply with an average CO2 emissions for all vehicles sold.
Actual data
This therefore looks like a victory for the EV lobby which, through this measure, intended to promote the sale of 100% electric cars. But between the beginning of the 2020s (when the lobbies launched their campaign) and today, the situation has changed. On the one hand, EV sales are not showing the expected growth. On the other hand, the public terminals which are multiplying in cities are very often used by plug-ins. However, the new Euro 6e-bis standards, and even more so those of 2027, will use real usage data provided by the “connected cookies” mandatory on all new vehicles since 2021. In short, the evolution of the market and mentalities could show the electric lobby that ultimately, PHEVs run on electric power the majority of the time. The sprinkler watered?
