Too Low To Be True? How to Measure Fuel Consumption and CO₂ Emissions of Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles, Today and in the Future

From the perspective of vehicle manufacturers, type-approval authorities, and consumers, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) provide a specific challenge: They use two different energy sources, fuel and electricity, and the relative shares between these two energy types strongly depend on how the vehicle is driven and recharged in practice. Therefore, it is no surprise that some consumers struggle to understand why the fuel consumption values advertised for their PHEVs are so much lower and the advertised electric range is so much higher than what they experience in everyday driving. This document first outlines the current procedure for the determination of fuel consumption, carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions, electric energy consumption, and electric range, specifically for PHEVs in Europe; this current procedure is described in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) Regulation R101. It then highlights the most relevant changes expected with the introduction of the new Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), which will come into effect in the European Union (EU) in September 2017. Finally, key differences between the EU and U.S. test procedures for PHEVs are briefly discussed.

• Record URL:
  http://www.theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/EU-PHEV_ICCT-Briefing-Paper_280717_vF.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  http://www.theicct.org/too-low-be-true-PHEV-fuel-consumption-and-CO2-emissions
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2017 International Council on Clean Transportation.
• Corporate Authors:

  International Council on Clean Transportation Europe

  Berlin,   Germany  10178
• Authors:
  • Riemersma, Iddo
  • Mock, Peter
• Publication Date: 2017-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Briefing
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 11p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Carbon dioxide; Energy consumption; Fuel consumption; Plug-in hybrid vehicles; Pollutants; Test procedures; Vehicle range
• Identifier Terms: Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedures (WLTP)
• Geographic Terms: Europe; United States
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01653776
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 18 2017 9:34AM