Hybrid cars found with higher levels of harmful emissions than diesels

A new investigation has revealed that a number new hybrid cars with higher levels of harmful emissions than diesels, as Dispatches discovers some public chargers out of service for years

• Hybrids were found to produce higher levels of volatile organic compounds
• VOCs are gasses that have been linked to causing cancer and ground-level smog
• Cold-start engine tests were conducted across different vehicles
• Investigation also reveals the poor state of Britain’s EV public charging network
• One in 20 charge points out of service – and one in Gateshead broken for 6 years

A new Channel 4 Dispatches investigation airing tonight will reveal that hybrid cars are producing higher levels of some harmful emissions than some of the latest diesel models.

A test of six hybrids, two diesels and one petrol model found the partially-electrified cars produced more volatile organic compounds – or VOCs – than the entirely fossil-fueled vehicles.

VOCs are chemicals that are emitted as gases from some liquids, including petrol and diesel. At certain levels some VOCs can cause cancer and ground-level smog, the report warns.

The report, to be shown at 8:30report, to be shown at 8:30pm on Monday, also uncovers the existing state of the electric vehicle public charging network in the UK, revealing more than one in 20 devices are out of service – and some charge points have been broken for up to six years.

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Channel 4 worked with experts at UK company Emissions Analytics to reveal the greater polluting impact of hybrids cars.

Currently, hybrids are the most popular form of electrified cars in the UK, with more than 207,000 new vehicles entering British roads this year (both conventional and plug-in hybrid), accounting for almost one in six vehicle registrations so far in 2021. 

Seen as a stepping stone from petrol and diesel cars to electric, their eco benefits include reducing exhaust emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter. 

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However, assessments of six latest models found that, during engine cold starts, they are producing more more harmful VOCs that cars with internal combustion engines. 

Hybrid vehicles used for the test were a mix of plug-in hybrids – which offer the longest electric-only driving ranges – as well as conventional hybrids you can’t plug into a charger.

‘Mild’ hybrids, which are both petrol and diesel models that have small batteries and electric motors to supplement the engine – though never actually power the wheels, were also included in the tests. 

All the cars were driven by Emissions Analytics on the open road for the study. 

The results showed that, in a cold start, all hybrids performed worse than the new diesel car, emitting higher levels of VOCs. 

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