Mercedes guilty of exaggerating emissions of new cars

For two years, WRFP has been working on cleaning up car adverts. We’ve been working closely with our lawyers to ensure all adverts have CO2 information, according to the requirements of the EU Directive. We have also been attending a lot of stakeholder meetings asking the question: “How can we update Green Guidance in the UK to make sure the guidelines are protecting consumers from misleading and unfounded  environmental claims.”

In a recent case, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) reported that German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has misled the UK public by claiming low emissions for a range of executive cars that are among the most polluting on the road.

“Its a pleasure, but not a guilty one,” the automaker said in a magazine advert for the E-Class Saloon range priced between £26,000 and £47,000, adding that its emissions were “down to” 139grams of Co2 per kilometre.”

Following a recent complaint the ASA investigated and found that only two out of a possible 24 E-Class cars corresponded with the emissions figures, warranting an E band in the Government’s banding system which ranges from A to M. Some were in the M band, the highest set by the Department for Transport (DfT) to warn drivers about high levels of fuel consumption, taxation and pollution.

Car-makers have frequently had ads for their vehicles banned for making dubious environmental claims, particularly for four-wheel drive and executive models criticised by campaigners for high fuel consumption. In the latest case, Mercedes-Benz suggested that drivers would switch to its new range safe in the knowledge that they would be helping the planet. “CO2 emissions for the range are down to 139g/km*, which means its better for the environment. It also means you pay less tax,” the company said.

The model shown in the advert was a Mercedes-Benz E250 CDI Sport, which has emissions of 139g a kilometre. A footnote stated that the range’s emissions varied from 139g to 261g a kilometre. Mercedes-Benz told the ASA it believed it had taken reasonable steps to substantiate its claims and had not misrepresented emissions levels. However, the ASA said that the claim that the E-Class was “better for the environment” was likely to be understood as meaning the range as a whole was low in emissions compared with previous models and rival models. Depending on model, fuel, gearbox and tyre sizes, only two vehicles out of the 24 in the range compared favourably with competitors’ vehicles of a similar class, while “a number of vehicles in the range had emissions levels that were at the higher end of the DfT emissions bandings.”

The ASA acknowledged the footnote. “However, we considered that the headline claim would give the impression to readers that a significant proportion of the range had achieved the lowest emissions figure, or a figure that was relatively low for the class, when that was not the case.”

The ad was banned under rules on truthfulness, motoring and environmental claims.

Blake, for We Are Futureproof