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https://thedriven.io/2025/07/22/the-dirty-australian-loophole-in-plug-in-hybrid-emissions-ratings/>
"We have a problem in Australia with testing the CO₂ emissions of plug-in
hybrids (PHEVs). I have had an interest in this topic for some time, but the
more I’ve followed what is happening in the European Union (EU), the more
worrisome the Australian situation becomes.
It’s fairly well understood that the emissions from PHEVs are highly dependent
on the behaviour of the driver – much more than for a conventional combustion
engine vehicle, or indeed an EV.
Just because you have charge in your battery doesn’t guarantee the combustion
engine won’t start under load. To really get an environmental and financial
benefit from a PHEV, the driver must charge the battery scrupulously after
almost every trip to minimise fuel use.
Thinking that buying a PHEV is going to automatically slash your tailpipe
pollution is like thinking that buying a gym membership is automatically going
to make you fit. You actually need to be committed to doing some work.
Australia currently tests vehicles for CO₂ emissions using the New European
Driving Cycle (NEDC). The NEDC test for PHEVs was devised before there was any
significant experience with these vehicles.
The NEDC simply assumes that every driver operates their PHEV the same way:
deplete a battery from fully charged, drive it a further 25 kilometres using
fuel, and then plug it in to re-charge.
If you have a driver who rarely plugs it in, the real-world emissions of the
vehicle are much higher. Even a diligent ‘plugger’ will have much higher
emissions if they do even a few long-distance trips. The NEDC model is simple
but it’s clearly flawed."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
