POLLUTION PATROL
A new European study has found that plug-in electric hybrids (PHEVs) pollute more than acknowledged by policy, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is prepared to give them more lee-way. The European Commission study showed that new plug-in hybrids registered in 2021 averaged emissions of 139.5 grams of CO2 per kilometre, which was 3.5 times higher than what Europe’s Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) regulatory testing protocol indicated. Previous studies have reached similar conclusions, with a 2022 study from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) finding that real-world electric miles for PHEVs may be up to 65 percent lower than what regulators assume, with fuel consumption up to 67 percent higher. The EPA said it will delay the Fleet Utility Factor from the 2027 model year to the 2031 model year “to provide additional stability for the program, and to give manufacturers ample time to transition to the new compliance calculation for PHEVs.”
ELECTRIFYING DATA
Rivian has announced that its vehicles will begin collecting electric vehicle (EV) charging station data every time one of its vehicles is plugged into a public charging unit. While the automaker has been collecting data along these lines for over a year, Rivian has announced plans to increase the data collecting process so that every time a Rivian vehicle is plugged into a public charging network, it will begin sending charging station data back to the automaker. From here, Rivian will analyze the data collected to determine the quality of the charger. The automaker will look at data related to the charge speed of the station, the time it takes to process driver payments, thermal behaviour and the overall functionality of the station. The charging station will then be given a letter grade that will update as more and more vehicles collect data from each charging point.
