Sanctions against Hyundai and Toyota for misleading advertisements on charging times

According to The Guardian, the British advertising regulator has taken the decision to ban two advertising campaigns from Toyota and Hyundai. This decision was prompted by exaggerated claims about charging times for electric cars and misleading claims about the availability of charging stations.

Following an investigation by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), Hyundai and Toyota were forced to stop running certain advertisements. Complaints received alleging that charging times quoted in commercials were unrealistic and did not represent the numbers achievable by owners, as well as the assertion that access to fast chargers was more widespread than reality, prompted this stock.

In the case of Toyota , maker of the bZ4X , a campaign on its UK website was launched with the slogan "Make electric easy". It claimed that the crossover could be charged up to 80% in about 30 minutes using a 150 kW DC fast charger. At the same time, the Japanese carmaker claimed that drivers could "easily find fast-charging points in public places", especially in areas where they were most likely to need them.

Hyundai, for its part, has launched a similar advertising campaign using various media such as its website, a YouTube video featuring players from Premier League football club Chelsea, as well as a digital billboard on Piccadilly. Circus in London. They proudly announced that the Ioniq 5 , their newest model, can be charged quickly, going from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes thanks to an ultra-fast 350 kW charging station.

However, complaints have been made to the ASA questioning the veracity of the advanced cooldowns. Although these figures are familiar, both manufacturers admitted when questioned that these performances were obtained under ideal conditions. The ASA concluded that many factors, such as battery age and condition, battery and environmental temperature, could influence actual charge times, likely making them longer. Additionally, claims that it is easy to find and use DC fast chargers throughout the UK have been disputed.

According to The Guardian , Toyota has relied on a service called Zap Map to back up its claims about charger availability, but that service does not precisely filter 150kW chargers. In reality, there are just 419 chargers in 134 locations across the UK, including seven in Scotland, two in Wales and none in Northern Ireland.

As for Hyundai , its "Charge My Hyundai" website says there are only 37 chargers capable of delivering 350kW in Britain, six in the Republic of Ireland, a "limited" number in the country of Wales and Scotland, and none in Northern Ireland.

Car makers said they weren't misleading the public because buyers might opt ​​for low-speed chargers on short trips. However, the Advertising Standards Regulatory Authority (ASA) has taken action by banning certain advertisements for electric vehicles. According to the ASA, these announcements did not provide essential information concerning the factors that could have a significant impact on the advertised charging time and the limitations linked to the availability of fast charging stations. The authority concluded that the claims were unsubstantiated and misleading.