Plug-in hybrids pollute almost as much as petrol cars, report finds

The EU’s ban on new combustion engine cars in 2035 is facing resistance from the automobile industry and some member states such as Germany. Photograph: Dpa Picture Alliance/Alamy

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) pump out nearly five times more planet-heating pollution than official figures show, a report has found.

The cars, which can run on electric batteries as well as combustion engines, have been promoted by European carmakers as a way to cover long distances in a single drive – unlike fully electric cars – while still reducing emissions.