The UK’s promoting watchdog, the Promoting Requirements Company (SAS), has banned two advert campaigns from EV makers Toyota and Hyundai over exaggerated claims on charging instances and deceptive claims on charger availability, in response to The Guardian.

Toyota, the maker of the bZ4X, ran a marketing campaign on its UK web site that had the tagline “making electrical straightforward,” claiming that the crossover may very well be charged to 80 p.c state of cost (SoC) in about half-hour utilizing a 150-kilowatt DC quick charger.

On the similar time, the Japanese automaker claimed that drivers might “simply discover rapid-charging factors in quite a few public areas,” particularly in areas the place “drivers have been almost certainly to want them.”

Hyundai ran an analogous advert marketing campaign and used its web site, a YouTube video that includes gamers from the Premier League membership Chelsea, and a digital billboard in London’s Piccadilly Sq., claiming that the Ioniq 5 may very well be charged from 10 p.c to 80 p.c in 18 minutes from a 350 kW charger.

Nonetheless, the ASA obtained complaints that challenged the veracity of the charging time claims, which each corporations admitted have been achieved in excellent situations. Moreover, the claims concerning the easy-to-find and easy-to-use DC quick chargers throughout the UK have been challenged.

The Guardian writes that Toyota based mostly its statements about charger availability on a service referred to as Zap Map, which reveals the place charging factors are situated however doesn’t filter out the precise location of 150 kW chargers. As an alternative, it solely confirmed that there have been 419 chargers at 134 areas throughout the UK, however solely seven have been in Scotland, two in Wales, and none in Northern Eire.

As for Hyundai, its Cost myHyundai web site confirmed that there have been simply 37 chargers able to delivering 350 kW in Nice Britain, six within the Republic of Eire, “restricted numbers” in Wales and Scotland, and none in Northern Eire.

Each Toyota and Hyundai mentioned their claims weren’t deceptive as drivers have been unlikely to want quick charging stints on quick journeys and that they might use the extra extensively obtainable slower cost factors. However that wasn’t the purpose of the advert campaigns, was it?

“We concluded that as a result of the advertisements omitted materials details about the elements that might considerably have an effect on the marketed charging time and the restrictions in relation to availability … the claims had not been substantiated and have been deceptive,” the ASA dominated.

That is the primary ban the UK’s ASA has enforced on electrical automotive promoting claims.