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Plug-In Hybrids May Be Screwed By New European Emission Rules

Sep. 29, 2018 4:25 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Government / 10 Comments Isn't the point of a plug-in hybrid to be better on emissions and fuel economy? The whole point of a plug-in hybrid vehicle is to offer electric assist in order to reduce fuel consumption and overall emissions output. So why has Europe halted the sale of plug-in models for not passing emissions regulations? As we've reported, Europe has recently switched to new emissions regulations called the Worldwide harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). These regulations are far more stringent than the previous guidelines and have already forced Volkswagen to stop selling the Golf GTI and limit the power output of the Golf R. Now, Automotive News Europe reports that the WLTP rules are impacting plug-in hybrids as well. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volkswagen, and others have already been forced to halt sales of their plug-in hybrid models including the Passat and Golf GTE and Panamera and Cayenne Hybrids. Interestingly, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV meets the new WLTP standards. The issue here is that the WLTP tests plug-in hybrids differently than the old rules. The new test has effectively lowered the battery range ratings on plug-ins, which has, in turn, raised the CO2 emissions to over 50 grams per kilometer. If a car is rated at over 50 grams per kilometer, it loses its tax benefits as an ultra-low-emissions vehicle and can no longer be sold with a nice discount. Mercedes-Benz In most cases, automakers will have to equip their PHEV models with bigger batteries to pass the tests. A VW spokesperson said, "there is a bottleneck with the testing and we have to get priority for highest-volume models." Porsche has similarly pulled sales of its PHEV models and said it "will not start taking orders again until the cars are being built, the timing of which has not yet been confirmed." This is very bad news for Porsche considering the plug-in hybrid makes up around 69% of Panamera sales in Europe. It seems as though these new emission regulations should have been more carefully planned out because they have already had a devastating effect on the European auto industry. Mercedes-Benz

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Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid Porsche Panamera Hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Class Plug-in Hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top