Almost 98 PER CENT of hybrid cars on sale in the UK fail to meet fuel economy standards
BRITAIN'S hybrid cars are falling short on their fuel economy ratings.
According to a recent study, almost 98 per cent of hybrids don't meet their advertised miles per gallon (MPG) rating.
In some cases, motors are achieving just 37 per cent of their advertised fuel economy, meaning drivers aren't getting even half of what they paid for.
According to research conducted by HonestJohn.co.uk, just one in 39 self-charging and plug-in hybrids actually meet their manufacturers claims for fuel performance.
Research found that a typical hybrid car in the UK will return an average of 70 per cent of its advertised MPG.
And that gap is made even worse by the fact that fuel prices have risen every day since the end of March, adding more than 8p to a litre.
Worst performing hybrid cars for fuel economy currently on sale
These are the hybrid cars with the worst fuel economy, based on the average percentage of their advertised MPG they actually meet:
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class C350e - 36.9 per cent
- BMW 3 Series 330e - 37.2 per cent
- Volkswagen Golf GTE - 38.1 per cent
- Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV - 42.5 per cent
- BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 225xe - 56.4 per cent
The worst performing car in the category is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class C350e, which allegedly achieves and average of just 36.9 per cent of its rating.
The BMW 3 Series 330e and Volkswagen Golf GTE are the second and third worst with a respective 37.2 per cent and 38.1 per cent.
While the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 225xe complete the bottom five.
And according to the study, the best performing motor still only achieves an average of 84.2 per cent of its advertised fuel economy.
The Lexus GS 450h was the best overall performer, but the majority of owners said their still couldn't meet its 45mpg rating.
The research took readings from more than 148,000 fuel reports submitted by motorists to the Honest John Real MPG service.
Real MPG was launched in 2011 after the website received thousands of complaints from readers that their cars could not match the "official" EU fuel economy figures.
Latest motors news
Honest John’s Managing Editor, Daniel Powell, said: “This is the most comprehensive study into hybrid fuel economy ever to be carried out.
"However, while these models are advertised with lofty MPG figures that will appeal to cost conscious drivers, our research shows that on-the-road economy is somewhat different.
“Given that car buyers are being urged to replace their petrol and diesel cars with new low emission hybrids, we think more needs to be done to ensure drivers get a fair deal when it comes to Real MPG.”