Plug-in hybrids pulled from Europe by some German makers

Some German automakers such as Porsche are pulling their plug-in hybrids from sale in Europe.

That’s after the change from the NEDC standard to the WLTP standard, resulting in them losing incentives.

By changing the standard in Europe, buyers get to see more accurate electric range out of automakers, but the new test cycle is also reducing the official efficiency rating of the vehicles, Electrek

reports.

They need carbon dioxide emissions below 50 grams per kilometre in order to get the incentives.

Several plug-in hybrids don’t comply, so the automaker decided to pull them from the market.

Auto News Europe

gathered comments from a few automakers about several vehicles that won’t be available temporarily or indefinitely.

VW has stopped sales of the midsize Passat GTE, Europe’s No. 2-selling plug-in hybrid., Europe’s No. 2-selling plug-in hybrid. A VW spokesman says the model will not be sold again until next July, when an update for the Passat range is due.

VW has also stopped selling the compact Golf GTE, Europe’s No. 4-selling plug-in hybrid. The company did not give a date for its return.

Porsche has pulled sales of its plug-in hybrid Panamera sedan and Cayenne SUV. “We will not start taking orders again until the cars are being built, the timing of which has not yet been confirmed,” a spokesman says.

Mercedes has no plug-in hybrids available to order but will start selling them again within the next two months, beginning with the S-class and E-class models. The C class isn’t due until next year, a spokesman says. All will record under 50g/km of CO2, he says.

BMW has not pulled any hybrids from the market while working to switch its plug-in hybrids over to WLTP. The company says the 530e sedan is available to order with emissions below 50g/km. The BMW 225xe Active Tourer minivan also can be ordered but with a CO2 figure of 57g/km, which is above the critical threshold.

A number of models are going through life-cycle changes, for example the BMW X5 xDrive40e is no longer available yet the new model xDrive45e has recently been announced, BMW says.

BMW says it is fully committed to and focuses on both battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.  In fact, BMW has been the best-selling PHEV brand worldwide since 2017 and the best-selling premium PHEV brand worldwide since 2015 (IHS Markit data).

A few other vehicles, like the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and the Volvo XC60 PHEV, still have access to the subsidy and they are staying available on the market.