Of course, zero emissions of exhaust gases, but not during the entire life cycle of the car. That’s according to the UK’s Advertising Authority (ASA), which recently took action by censoring two internet ads, by BMW and MG Motors respectively, for presenting their electric cars as “zero emissions”. a statement that the regulator considers to be misleading.
The crux of the debate lies in the apparent paradox between the idea that electric cars do not produce emissions while driving, and the reality of the emissions generated during their production process, as well as during the production of the electricity that powers them.
BMW and MG stand out in particular
According to the ASA, “When electric cars drive, emissions are not produced”, but this statement does not take into account the emissions generated during their manufacture or recharging with electricity from the grid. These clarifications were made following two ASA decisions. The ASA’s first ruling concerns an ad broadcast on Google by German manufacturer BMW promoting its “zero-emission cars”. BMW justified the use of the phrase by citing Google’s auto-keyword feature, claiming that it was intended for consumers who used those terms in their searches. However, BMW has acknowledged that the “zero emissions” claim only applies to driving and has committed to disabling Google’s features for those keywords.
The ASA’s second decision concerned an ad by British company MG Motor, also seen on Google, which highlighted “zero emissions” technologies. MG Motors quickly removed all references to the phrase from its advertisements in response to the ASA reprimand.
More transparency about electric cars
These two ASA decisions were made in order to prevent any confusion among consumers and to ensure transparent and truthful advertising. “It is common for cars, regardless of fuel type, to be rated based on CO emissions2 which they emit through their tailpipes »– commented Colin Walker, head of the transport department of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit research center.
He characterized these decisions as follows“strange”pointing out that the British government itself recently set sales targets for “zero-emission cars”.
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Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.