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

[Bluetus]

9. These arguments are usually "wells to wheels", but that's not a good comparison

Last edited Fri Oct 17, 2025, 11:23 AM - Edit history (1)

Let's ignore the plug hybrids for a moment, because their gas usage could be close to an EV (i.e. none) or close to a regular hybrid -- all depending on the owner's lifestyle. You can't make generalizations about that.

But you can certainly generalize about a hybrid versus a comparable gas-only vehicle. A good hybrid these days gets 40-55 MPG all day long. If we compare a Prius at 55 MPG to a same-size gas car, we're looking at low-30s at best. There is no way the hybrid only decreases emissions by 19%.

These fossil fuel advocates like to include plug-in because then they can assume that the plug electricity comes from the dirtiest possible source, the most polluting coal plant ever. That just isn't the case. Most of the coal plants have been replaced with natural gas. And lots of solar and wind power is coming online every year. If not for AI, we would be eliminating natural gas plants at a high rate now.

So if they want to be fair, they should point the finger at these AI data centers. The AI industry should be held accountable for the environmental impact they are causing.