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

[moniss]

2. A 19% reduction is still significant and

while the "real world" is always different than a tightly controlled lab test I find that many people use reports like this to crap on the idea of PHEV use as a component among many in a strategy to reduce emissions and particulates. I see things like this from time to time and they tend to push the idea that since this or that aspect doesn't achieve nearly complete success of eliminating emissions then it should be discounted as far as receiving support or pursuit.

The reality is that in formulating a program to achieve major impact the program will have many components and each one will have it's own level of reduction in an overall strategy. Sometimes when people pick a particular component in the program they are either ignorant of the concept of developing and applying a multi-component program or they have an agenda. I suspect by the title of The Guardian article that it may well be the latter on the part of the author. Simply stated achieving a 19% reduction, if one accepts the methodology used in this report, is still a major contribution in overall emissions reduction. The article paints it as more or less insignificant and so "why bother".