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 occasions 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 simple,” 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 various public places,” particularly in areas the place “drivers had been more than likely to want them.”

Hyundai ran an identical 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 acquired complaints that challenged the veracity of the charging time claims, which each firms admitted had been achieved in good circumstances. Moreover, the claims concerning the easy-to-find and easy-to-use DC quick chargers throughout the UK had been challenged.

The Guardian writes that Toyota primarily based its statements about charger availability on a service known 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 places throughout the UK, however solely seven had 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 stated their claims weren’t deceptive as drivers had been unlikely to want quick charging stints on quick journeys and that they might use the extra broadly out there 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 constraints in relation to availability … the claims had not been substantiated and had been deceptive,” the ASA dominated.

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