Tailpipe Emissions
- Full Electric Vehicles (EVs) produce zero tailpipe emissions because they run solely on electricity with no internal combustion engine involved.
- Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs) produce tailpipe emissions when running on gasoline, as they have both an electric motor and a gasoline engine. When operating in electric mode only, PHEVs have zero tailpipe emissions, but once the gasoline engine kicks in, emissions occur.
Lifecycle Emissions and Battery Impact
- PHEVs have smaller batteries than full EVs—about one-sixth the size—resulting in significantly lower emissions from battery production. This reduces their embodied carbon footprint at the manufacturing stage.
- Full EVs have larger batteries, leading to higher emissions during manufacture, which can take many miles of driving to offset, depending on the carbon intensity of the electricity grid.
Fuel Source and Energy Use
- EVs rely completely on electricity, so their overall emissions depend heavily on the electricity generation mix. In regions with clean, renewable electricity, EVs have substantially lower life cycle emissions. In places with carbon-intensive electricity, this advantage is reduced but still generally lower than conventional gasoline cars.
- PHEVs use a mix of electricity and gasoline (often assumed around 70% electric and 30% gasoline use). Although they still produce emissions from fossil fuels during gasoline use, their lifecycle emissions can be lower than full EVs in some scenarios, especially where the grid is still carbon-intensive. This is because PHEVs avoid heavy reliance on grid electricity and have smaller batteries, thus lower production emissions.
Summary of Differences
| Aspect | Full Electric Vehicles (EVs) | Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) |
|---|---|---|
| Tailpipe Emissions | Zero | Zero when in electric mode; present when using gasoline |
| Battery Size/Production Emissions | Larger battery, higher embodied carbon | Smaller battery, lower embodied carbon |
| Fuel Use | Electricity only | Electricity + gasoline |
| Lifecycle Emissions | Potentially very low, depending on grid | Lower battery production emissions but some gasoline emissions; often comparable or better in high-carbon grid areas |
| Dependence on Grid Cleanliness | High | Lower |
Overall, while full EVs produce no tailpipe emissions and have the potential for very low life cycle emissions, PHEVs can currently deliver comparable or sometimes better climate benefits due to their smaller batteries and hybrid technology, especially where electricity grids are still reliant on fossil fuels.
Thus, the main difference is that full EVs eliminate tailpipe emissions entirely but carry higher production emissions due to larger batteries, whereas PHEVs produce some tailpipe emissions from gasoline but reduce overall emissions through smaller batteries and hybrid usage, making them potentially better in certain grid-emission contexts.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-are-the-main-differences-in-emissions-between-plug-in-hybrid-vehicles-and-full-electric-vehicles/
