Lexus Self-charging Hybrid Ads Draw Criticism in Norway
Norway’s Consumer Authority calls Lexus self-charging hybrid ads “misleading,” but is that a bit of a stretch?
In the automotive world, we tend to think of electric vehicles as essentially cost-free. Of course, this isn’t technically the case, as electricity obviously costs money, too. Less money than what you would spend on a comparable amount of gas, of course, but money nonetheless. Lexus apparently fell into the trap of peddling the energy provided by its plug-in hybrid vehicles as free recently, and now they’re being called out by Norway’s Consumer Authority, according to Motoring Research. The government entity recently called the ads “misleading.” But is that really the case?
The advert pictured below says, in English, “In hybrid form Lexus, the power (always costs) absolutely nothing.” On the surface, that sounds pretty misleading. But plug-in (and traditional) hybrids like the ones Lexus sells use energy recovered during braking to keep the batteries topped off. With a plug-in hybrid, you can also charge up the batteries by plugging the car in, of course, which obviously costs money. Unless you’re “borrowing” a drop cord plugged in at the neighbor’s house.
This is why automakers like Lexus often refer to their hybrid vehicles as self-charging. Technically, you could get away with driving around only on electric power in a plug-in hybrid. If you don’t drive much. However, the Norway Consumer Authority contests that power generated from braking requires burning gasoline from internal combustion engines. Which it does. And plugging the car in obviously adds money to your electric bill. So if you’re splitting hairs here, said energy isn’t technically “always” free. Unless you can manage to keep your plug-in Lexus hybrid topped off with braking regeneration alone.
Still, this seems to be a bit of a stretch for those going after Lexus with pitchforks and torches. Norway is contending that some consumers might have purchased these vehicles based solely on the idea that they generate free electricity all the time. We like to think that Lexus buyers are a little smarter than that. It’s also worth noting that the U.K’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rejected similar claims recently. But if nothing else, you can probably bet that the automaker (and their competitors) will likely tone down their advertising claims moving forward.
Photos: Lexus
Join the Club Lexus forums now!
