An advertisement from Renault has been found to be misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority.
According to the UK watchdog, an ad for electric vehicles claimed “the well-to-wheel efficiency of a Renault Fluence Z.E. will help reduce CO2 emissions by at least 90% compared to a current Diesel model.”
Small print stated “Comparison between a Renault Fluence Z.E. (basis: French average electric mix) and a model from an identical category: Renault Megane Hatch 1.5 dCi (85HP) emitting 133g CO2 well-to wheel.”
The complainant objected that the 90 percent figure was based on the French electricity generation mix, which with its heavy dose of nuclear, has significantly lower levels of CO2 emissions than electricity produced in the UK.
Renault claimed that they qualified the claim in the footnote and believed that anyone reading the ad as a whole would not be misled.
ASA found that the ad breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation) and 7.1 (Truthfulness) and that the ad must not appear again in its current form.
You can find news on other ASA adjudications here.
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