The car manufacturer ran a TV ad featuring a montage of clips showing how cars impacted on society and announcing the launch of a range of zero emission vehicles.
A voiceover stated: “For us, global warming goes beyond the emissions coming out of the exhaust. It’s an issue we address before, during and after the manufacturing.”
The ASA received 17 complaints over whether Renault could substantiate the zero emission claims because electricity used to charge the electric cars would produce emissions.
Complaints also claimed the ad was misleading because it did not take into account the entire life cycle of the cars.
Renault says that if the electricity used to charge the car was from a renewable source it would not produce emissions.
It also said that the ad was designed to show there were no emissions from the vehicle while it was in use and that it was not claiming that the entire manufacturing process was free of emissions.
However, the ASA said that it was unlikely charging would come from a renewable source because of the energy mix of the UK’s National Grid. It added that the voiceover suggested a claim that “invoked the full life cycle of the electric vehicle.”
The ASA ruled that the ad “gave the impression the entire production use and disposal of the vehicle would not produce emissions” and was therefore misleading.