Plugin hybrid cars are no longer subsidized by the state. This is a blessing for the environment. Automakers, on the other hand, are now faced with a problem.
At the end of the year, the federal government cuts the funding for Plugin Hybrid. Finally. The vehicles with a combination of combustion engine and electric motor are among the best-selling cars in Germany and the EU. Last year, plug-in hybrids had a 12.4 percent market share. In July 2022 it was even more than 14 percent. The vehicles, which can travel up to 80 kilometers electrically and without the help of the combustion engine, are popular with buyers. The purchase premium certainly contributes to this – especially for private customers.
However, the plug-in hybrids are really interesting for business customers with large fleets. The reasons are obvious: The technology allows companies to save money, since the electricity for the battery is still cheaper than petrol or diesel. At the same time, the vehicles can cover long distances because they can use the combustion engine at any time. So companies get a car that can be used flexibly. In addition, the operating costs of the fleet can be reduced.
Employees also benefit. The tax rate for company cars is reduced by half for plug-in hybrids – from one to 0.5 percent. So there is a little more left for employees. In times of tight budgets and rising inflation, that can make a big difference. But companies and employees are not even the biggest beneficiaries of the vehicle class.
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Plugin hybrids: the car industry’s money-saving trick
The car companies will benefit the most. Plugin hybrids are still important for manufacturers after the amendment of the EU consumption cycle. For example, a BMW X5 45e (an SUV), which weighs 2.5 tons empty, is given an average consumption of almost two liters. This corresponds to CO₂ emissions of around 40 grams per kilometer. Since manufacturers are still selling more combustion engines than e-cars, but at the same time have to meet the fleet target of less than 100 grams of CO₂ per kilometer, plug-in hybrids reduce fleet consumption on average.
It is therefore not surprising that the manufacturers have relied so vehemently on the plugin hybrid. BMW currently has 47 plug-in hybrid vehicles in its range. On the other hand, there are six e-cars. Mercedes has 40 plugins and five electric cars. VW and Audi have held back on the subject. Audi only has 13 plugins, compared to four electric cars.
On paper, plugin hybrids make sense in and of themselves. Even older models have an electric range of almost 40 kilometers, the new ones 80 kilometers. This means that most distances can be covered without having to start the combustion engine. But the battery has to be charged regularly. And this is exactly where the idea fails, especially with company cars.
Not even every fifth person charges the vehicle
sea a study According to the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI), only 11 to 15 percent of company cars are electrically powered. However, since corporate customers account for more than 70 percent of the buyers of the plug-in hybrids, the usage balance is catastrophic: the significantly heavier vehicles consume more fossil fuels than a pure combustion engine.
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Maliciously argued, the plug-in hybrids only have one task: They should reduce the car manufacturers’ fleet consumption. This means that there are no fines to be paid to the EU if consumption exceeds the permitted limit. Since the manufacturers – despite various warnings – failed to make the early change to electromobility, plug-in hybrids are the only solution to save money.
For the sake of fairness, however, it must also be mentioned that private users still use 45 to 49 percent of their plug-ins electrically. But since they only make up a small proportion of buyers, this does not help the ecological balance of plug-in hybrids in any way. She is disastrous. That’s not a surprise. For years, critics have accused the industry of the models being a sham. They harm the environment more than they benefit it. It’s good that they’re finally being driven out of the market.
Don Dahlmann has been a journalist for over 25 years and has been in the automotive industry for over ten years. Every Monday you can read his column “Torque” here, which takes a critical look at the mobility industry.
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