Tesla, VW EVs get headlines, but plug-in hybrids will save the day – for some

The Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID3 and many other full-electric vehicles are getting a lot of attention in Europe at the moment, but it is plug-in hybrid cars that will deliver the CO2 emissions reduction that automakers need to avoid hefty EU fines.

Mercedes-Benz lowered its German fleet CO2 emissions by 10 percent through September because of its aggressive rollout of plug-in hybrids.

In Germany alone Mercedes registered more than 25,000 plug-in hybrids through September. That’s a more than sevenfold increase over the same period last year. This made Mercedes the top-seller of plug-in hybrids in Germany, beating both BMW and Audi by 10,000 units each, according to government figures.

Because of the strong demand for plug-in hybrids, Mercedes recently said for the first time it should be able to meet its overall EU CO2 reduction target this year.

A lack of enough plug-in hybrids, meanwhile, has caused Jaguar Land Rover to set aside 90 million pounds ($118 million) to pay a likely EU fine for failing to meet its mandated CO2 goal.

JLR’s strategy was to launch more plug-in hybrid versions of its Land Rover, Range Rover and Jaguar SUV models, but that plan had to be scrapped after the automaker was forced to halt sales of the plug-in hybrid versions of two of its top-selling vehicles, the Range Rover Evoque and the Land Rover Discovery Sport, due to a discrepancy over their emissions figures.