AUTONEWS

BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and VW run out of hybrids

The exchange of the old and outdated NEDC consumption determination system, by the new and closest to the WLTP reality, which came into force in September, caused an increase in the figures for vehicles with gasoline or diesel engines, but also increased the data imputed to plug-in hybrids (PHEV), vehicles that have always claimed average intakes that are impossible to reach under real conditions of use.According to European regulations, PHEVs only have access to incentives in most countries if they have approved CO2 emissions of less than 50g / 100km, which are directly dependent on the announced consumption. The fact that many PHEVs now surpass the 50g CO2 mark because of WLTP places most German brand hybrids such as BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen outside of the incentives for the purchase of less polluting vehicles, countries like Germany means giving up € 3,000 per unit.According to Automotive News, the situation has already led Volkswagen to suspend sales of Passat GTE, the second best-selling plug-in in Europe and which, with the NEDC method, announced consumption of 1.8 liters and 40g of CO2. Golf GTE (1.7 liters and 38g CO2) also followed the same path, with the company's spokesman reporting that "PHEVs will not be sold again until July next year, all the more so because of the inherent slowness to WLTP approval, we are currently focused on high volume models, gasoline and diesel. "
Porsche, also part of the Volkswagen Group, also sees its hybrids being affected by WLTP in the Panamera and Cayenne ranges. "We have stopped receiving orders, which will not return until we start making the PHEV versions," said brand managers, without however advancing the expected date for that. It should be remembered that PHEV accounted for 69% of the European manufacturer's sales of Stuttgart in the first half of the year and that the Cayenne Hybrid of 462 hp announces a consumption of 3.2 liters and 72g of CO2, while the Panamera Hybrid, with the same mechanics (but still according to the NEDC for being a 2016 model) announces 2.5 liters and 56g of CO2. This happens after Porsche announced that it would give up diesel engines, replacing them largely with plug-in hybrids.
BMW is replacing the 3 Series (the old 330e of 252 hp claimed 1.8 liters and 44g of CO2), but still lacking the values ​​it will announce, but the 530e, with the same mechanics, announced 1.9 liters and 44g in NEDC, which should leave it out of 50g in WLTP. The 225xe Active Tourer will be marketed with 57g of CO2, while the X5 xDrive 45e will mount a larger battery to increase the range in electric mode from 50 to 80 km, making it easier to obtain CO2 emissions below 50g.Mercedes is in a more comfortable situation, essentially because of lack of PHEV, since the new Class C plug-in will only come out in 2019, while Volvo, for its part, has all its PHEV above 50g of CO2 and so will continue . Mitsubishi, which owns the PHEV that sells the most in Europe, the Outlander SUV, has approved a consumption that allows it to emit 46g of CO2, which puts it below the limit range.The German Automotive Association (VDA) recalled that with the adoption of the WLTP, hybrid plug-in vehicles became the subject of more stringent measurements, like all others, but in this case it was specifically tried to reduce the inherent advantages of use of a 100% charged battery at the start of the consumption determination tests. Thus, the tests are repeated several times, first with the battery charged, but then the measurements continue until the battery is empty, with the CO2 emissions to be determined by an average of all the evaluations.Still, it is good to keep in mind that this situation still greatly benefits (and unfairly) PHEVs. Firstly, there is still a brutal discrepancy between fuel consumption in the first 100 km (if you leave with a full battery) and the next few hundred, unlike gasoline, diesel or electric vehicles. Second, because there is no way to ensure that the user charges the battery as soon as it runs out of charge, which in most cases happens after 25 to 35 km in normal driving. Which does not sound like a very realistic claim.