Toyota and Hyundai’s electric car advertisements banned by UK agency deemed misleading

UK agency bans Toyota and Hyundai's misleading electric car ads

【PhoneAuto News】According to reports, the electric car advertisements of Toyota and Hyundai have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK. The reason is that Toyota and Hyundai are accused of exaggerating the charging speed of their electric cars and misleading consumers about the availability of fast charging points in the UK and Ireland.

Taking Toyota as an example, the Japanese car manufacturer launched a promotional campaign for its bZ4X all-electric crossover on its website. The website claims that using a 150kW fast charging system, the bZ4X can be charged to 80% in about 30 minutes. Toyota also points out that drivers can easily find fast charging points in many public places, especially in areas where drivers are “most likely to need” them.

As for Hyundai, the company has also carried out a similar campaign to promote the IONIQ 5. The campaign claims that with a 350kW fast charger, the IONIQ 5 can be charged from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes.

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According to The Guardian, ASA received complaints about the advertising campaigns of these two car manufacturers. It is reported that these complaints questioned the charging time claimed by Toyota and Hyundai, and both car manufacturers admitted that the charging time was achieved under perfect factory conditions. In addition, the car manufacturers’ claims about the availability of fast charging stations in the UK have also been questioned.

Toyota pointed out that in its advertising campaign, Zap Map (a service that displays electric vehicle charging points) did not show the exact locations of 150kW fast chargers, although the service does indicate that there are 419 charging points in 134 locations in the UK. However, there are only 7 in Scotland, 2 in Wales, and none in Northern Ireland.

On the other hand, the “Charge My Hyundai” website for modern cars lists 37 350kW ultra-fast charging points in the UK. There are only 6 in Ireland, and the quantity is limited in Wales and Scotland. No locations in Northern Ireland are listed.

According to reports, Toyota and Hyundai explained that their advertisements were not misleading, especially because drivers may not need fast charging points for shorter trips. However, the ASA pointed out that these advertisements give consumers the impression that using fast charging points “is relatively simple” across the UK. The advertising regulatory agency also noted that many real-world factors can affect the charging time of electric cars, but these factors are controlled by the car manufacturers in the tests on which the advertisements are based.

The ASA stated, “If any of these conditions are not ideal, then the charging time may be longer.”

Both car manufacturers argued that it is meaningful for them to advertise the charging time of electric cars to consumers. Nevertheless, the ASA chose to ban the car manufacturers’ advertising campaigns. The ASA stated, “Our conclusion is that these claims are not substantiated and are misleading, as the advertisements omit important information about factors that could significantly affect the advertised charging time and limitations related to availability.”

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