Toyota ordered to drop TV commercial for hybrid vehicle·

Watchdog rules that ad exaggerated car's benefits · CO2 figures were based on American average mileage Rebecca Smithers and John VidalWednesday June 6, 2007The Guardian
A television commercial for the Toyota Prius breached advertising rules by exaggerating the car's environmental benefits, the advertising industry watchdog says today.
The advert claimed that the vehicle, one of the new breed of increasingly popular green hybrid cars which use petrol and electric power, emitted up to a tonne of CO2 less a year than an equivalent family car with a diesel engine.
But the Advertising Standards Authority said Toyota's data was flawed. It was based on the 12,430-mile (20,000km) average annual distance driven by cars in the US instead of the 8,340-mile (13,440km) UK average,
After investigating a complaint about the commercial, the ASA found it breached advertising rules. The authority ordered Toyota not to broadcast the Prius commercial, made by Saatchi and Saatchi Japan, again in the same form.
The advertisement asked: "What if all cars were like the Prius? With its hybrid synergy drive technology, it emits up to one tonne less CO2 per year." On-screen text stated: "1 tonne of CO2 less than an equivalent family vehicle with a diesel engine. Average calculated on 20,000km a year. Toyota Prius: CO2 emissions: 104g/km".
The ASA agreed the Prius emitted "significantly less" CO2 than some other cars with greater engine capacity, but added that "we did not consider their evidence demonstrated that it emitted one tonne less than equivalent vehicles with diesel engines or that it took into account the average annual distance driven by private cars in the UK".
Toyota said it had qualified the claim by saying the Prius's CO2 emissions were "up to" one tonne less a year. The firm also provided the ASA with data comparing the Prius with other cars registered in 2005.
The ruling comes as sales of hybrid cars continue to soar in Britain as well as globally. The cars combine a conventional petrol engine with an electric motor. The motor powers the vehicle at low speeds, and the petrol engine kicks in as the car gains speed. The motor's battery pack is charged by the petrol engine and by energy from the brakes. The average CO2 output for a UK car is 170-200 g/km, but hybrids can achieve 105 g/km.
Honda and Toyota, the manufacturers which dominate the hybrid market, said British sales were rising "rapidly" as the environmental message began to get through, petrol prices continued to rise and penalties and incentives for driving greener cars kicked in.
A Toyota spokesman said: "This year we expect to sell 9,000 in Britain - a 90% increase on 2006 and a 200% increase on 2005." Honda said its sales were nearly five times what they were last year.
The cars have been popularised by celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio and Harrison Ford. Globally, Toyota expects to sell its one millionth hybrid car in the next few months and more than a million hybrid vehicles a year within five years.
Honda is introducing several new models and says up to 5% of all its cars could be hybrids within three years. Other makers including General Motors, Saab and BMW are developing versions.
A Honda spokesman said: "Right now we can hardly keep up with hybrid demand."
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