Mercedes latest to fall foul of green car ad rules

The need to ensure green advertising claims do not overstate environmental credentials was again underlined today, when the UK's advertising watchdog slammed Mercedes-Benz for using "misleading" carbon emissions data to advertise its new E-class saloon series.

The German auto giant had claimed that "CO2 emissions for the range are down to 139g/km", but the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the car's emissions were dependent on which specifications the purchaser selected, and that only two out of 24 different permutations in the range boasted carbon emissions of 139g/km.

For example, the fuel efficiency of the vehicle varied significantly depending on whether motorists selected a petrol or diesel model, or a manual or automatic gearbox.

"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 ASA said, ruling that the advert could no longer be shown in its current form.

Mercedes-Benz is the latest in a series of car firms to fall foul of the ASA over its green credentials. An ad from Lexus was similarly banned last year over its environmental claims, while Fiat and Saab have also had their wrists slapped by the regulator in the past 18 months.