Description
In 2021, the UK advertising watchdog (ASA) upheld a complaint aganst Hyundai ove rads for the NEXO fuel cell electric vehicle. The ads claimed the car was 'so beautifully clian, it purifies the air as it goes'. The ASA ruled that the claim omitted information about, for instance, pollution from tyre wear and was therefore misleading as it failed to provide substantiation.
ASA assessment
'The ASA considered that the claim “A car so beautifully clean, it purifies the air as it goes” would be understood to mean that the car overall had negligible environmental impact and would remove impurities from the air as it was driven, such that no impurities caused by driving it would remain in the air. The complainant had raised concerns because they understood that, although the car would not release exhaust fumes like a traditional combustion engine, it would still release particulates as a result of brake and tyre wear.
We acknowledged that there were air filtration systems in place within the Hyundai NEXO, which would filter the air before it was used in its hydrogen fuel cell. However, we understood particulates from brake and type wear would still be released into the air and would not necessarily be removed by the car, unless they happened to pass through its air filtration system. We understood that particulates from brake and tyre wear were a significant source of air pollution from vehicle use. Because we considered the claim “A car so beautifully clean, it purifies the air as it goes”, as it was likely to be understood by consumers, had not been adequately substantiated, we concluded the ad was misleading.'