INTERNATIONAL
Study finds higher real-world fuel use for PHEVs, BMW XM appears in dataset
A major real-world study published Feb. 22, 2026 found that plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) consume substantially more fuel in everyday use than official laboratory figures suggest.
Researchers reviewed driving data from roughly one million PHEVs and reported on-road fuel consumption that can be up to three times higher than advertised; the study’s published dataset specifically lists the BMW XM (Performance) among the measured models.
Why it matters: the result challenges manufacturer efficiency claims and could affect regulatory testing, buyer expectations and resale values.
For BMW and XM owners, the findings may drive renewed emphasis on charging behavior, dealer guidance and possible label or incentive changes.
BMW had not issued an immediate detailed response with technical clarifications at publication time.
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