05/06/2018
Hybrids miss targets
Practically every hybrid car on sale in the UK fails to meet its claimed fuel economy with some missing their advertised rating by as much as 80mpg, according to research carried out by HonestJohn.co.uk.
The leading consumer-led motoring website analysed 148,000 Real MPG fuel reports submitted by UK drivers and discovered that self-charging hybrids and plug-in hybrids are the most misleading when it comes to fuel consumption with just one in 39 cars delivering their advertised MPG.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class C350e is the UK's worst performer, achieving just 36.9% of its official fuel economy, while the BMW 3 Series 330e and Volkswagen Golf GTE are the second and third worst with a respective 37.2% and 38.1% per cent. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (42.5%) and BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 225xe (56.4%) complete the bottom five.
Promoted as eco-friendly and efficient, HonestJohn.co.uk found that a typical hybrid car in the UK will return on average 70% of its advertised MPG. The gap between advertised and on-the-road MPG is made all the more profound by the fact that fuel prices have risen every single day since the end of March, adding more than 8p to a litre of fuel.[1]
The Lexus GS 450h is the best hybrid in the UK for Real MPG, returning an average of 84.2%. In second place is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2WD (79.3%) followed closely by the Toyota Yaris 1.5 VVT-I Hybrid with 77.9%. The final entries in the top five are the hybrid versions of the Kia Niro (77.4%) and Toyota C-HR (77.2%).
Real MPG was launched in 2011 after HonestJohn.co.uk received thousands of complaints from readers that their cars could not match the 'official' EU fuel economy figures. Published at www.HonestJohn.co.uk/realmpg, Real MPG invites motorists to submit how many miles their cars actually do to the gallon, covering all major makes and models. Unlike official (laboratory tested) fuel consumption figures, Real MPG gives real life comparative data and allows car owners and buyers to see how much on-the-road fuel a vehicle really uses.
One of the reasons new cars have performed increasingly poorly is because, since 2015, car manufacturers have been fined if the corporate average CO2 emissions of their cars exceeds 130g/km according to MPG and CO2 laboratory tests. To avoid the fines, vehicles are increasingly optimised for the laboratory at the expense of reality.
The NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) test for new cars was replaced by the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) in 2017. However, while the WLTP should be more reflective of real world driving conditions and involve longer distances and higher speeds than the old NEDC system, it will not apply to the majority of new car registrations until September 2018.
Honest John's managing editor, Daniel Powell, said, 'This is the most comprehensive study into hybrid fuel economy ever to be carried out. However, while these models are advertised with lofty MPG figures that will appeal to cost conscious drivers, our research shows that on-the-road economy is somewhat different.
'Given that car buyers are being urged to replace their petrol and diesel cars with new low emission hybrids, we think more needs to be done to ensure drivers get a fair deal when it comes to Real MPG.'
The worst hybrid cars on sale in terms of disparity between claimed and Real MPG fuel economy are:
1) Mercedes-Benz C-Class C350e 36.9%
2) BMW 3 Series 330e 37.2%
3) Volkswagen Golf GTE 38.1%
4) Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 42.5%
5) BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 225xe 56.4%
The best hybrid cars on sale in terms of disparity between claimed and Real MPG fuel economy are:
1) Lexus GS 450h 84.2%
2) Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2WD 79.3%
3) Toyota Yaris 1.5 VVT-I Hybrid 77.9%
4) Kia Niro 1.6 GDI Hybrid 77.4%
5) Toyota C-HR 1.8 Hybrid 77.2%