Fuel consumption for one powerful high-end hybrid model is almost ten times more than is claimed, an Oireachtas committee has heard.
Managing Director of the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) Dr Peter Mock made the claim while addressing the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action, which is examining the negative impact increasing sales of SUVs is having on Ireland's carbon budget.
Dr Mock said that research fails to back up a manufacturer's claim of "fuel consumption of 1.6 litres per 100km".
"Because the vehicle is so heavy, it is so big, that consumes about 14.5 litres per 100km on the highway. And the CO2 emissions, of course, are also much higher than advertised," he said.
Dr Mock added that this is "a problem not only for plug-in hybrids, but also for battery electric vehicles (EVs). The heavier they are, the bigger the battery needs to be, and the bigger the energy consumption and the resources [needed to make] the battery".
"[Hybrid] emissions are nowhere near what is claimed," said James Nix of Transport and Environment, an NGO which advocates "a zero-emission mobility system" across Europe.
Dr Mock criticised the Government for directing supports towards those purchasing larger and more expensive electric and hybrid vehicles.
"You don't have enough on offer at the moment" for those who are less well off, he said.
Urging the Government to prioritise equality, he recommended a greater focus "on that social aspect and make it easier for people with a lower income to have access to electric cars".
"Cars are getting bigger and heavier" which is "offsetting efficiency gains from technology improvements", Hannah Daly, Professor in Sustainable Energy and Energy Systems Modelling at UCC, said.
The average weight of a new passenger car sold in Ireland "increased by 25% in the past two decades. Cars are now 300kg heavier than they were in 2001".
This means that the carbon footprint of new cars - including EVs - is on average 10% higher than it would be if they were the same size as cars were two decades ago.
"So, there's a compelling argument to include weight and vehicle footprint in the calculation of the vehicle registration tax for both fossil fuels and electric cars," Prof Daly said.
'Higher rates of death'
"SUVisation leads to higher rates of death and serious injury," Mr Nix told the committee.
One reason is the height of an SUV, especially its bonnet, which makes it harder to see children who are directly in front of it, Mr Nix said.
An SUV's height and bulk also cause more severe injuries to a person's head and internal organs and are also less likely to knock them out of the way, Mr Nix revealed.
He also urged the Government to "act quickly" and introduce a weight tax, even if it cannot be fully accomplished in next month's Budget.
"My suggestion here is to use the upcoming Budget to flag that it would at least apply from mid-year for the second vehicle registration period, starting on the first of July," Mr Nix said.
France has now chosen to include hybrids in its weight taxation, he noted, adding that Germany is also considering such a tax.
Apostolos Petropoulos of the International Energy Agency echoed these remarks and also urged the Government to follow suit in introducing a weight tax for vehicles.
