Toyota had an ad in Belgium that included the words "Zero emissions low." While the Prius is a model with very low CO₂ emissions, they're certainly not zero and the claim has been considered misleading. The advertisement did not contain any CO₂ emission or fuel consumption data, as is obliged under Belgian law, and thus violated European labeling directive 1999/94/EC. Friends of the Earth Europe's car efficiency campaigner, Jeroen Verhoeven, filed the complaint. "Car manufacturers are using 'greenwash' advertising to confuse consumers whilst at the same time blocking EU proposals for a target of 120g CO2/km by 2012. If Toyota is serious about reaching 'zero emissions' anytime soon then why are they blocking a 2012 target?", he said in a statement sent to AutoblogGreen.

This is not the first time Toyota has been into trouble for exaggerating the "greenness" of its products. Lexus, too, has had its problems. But as the big marketing motto for automakers is being shifted from security to ecology, they all make mistakes. Could this lead to banning green advertisements for cars, like in Norway?

[Source: EUBusiness, h/t to Jeroen]

When we first heard about the new mono-fuel BMW Hydrogen 7, we were rather impressed by the extremely low emissions numbers posted by the model when tested at Argonne National Laboratory. The fact that BMW was able to reduce the emissions, boast better range and make more power as compared to their previous-generation Hydrogen 7 was pretty cool. According to Dr. Thomas Wallner, lead engineer in Argonne's hydrogen vehicle testing activities, "[The Hydrogen 7's] engine actively cleans the air. Argonne's testing shows that the Hydrogen 7's engine actually shows emissions levels that, for certain components, such as Non Methane Organic Gases (NMOG's) and Carbon Monoxides (CO's), are cleaner than the ambient air that comes into the car's engine."

So, because air is required for the hydrogen combustion, and there are pollutants already present in the air, at times the exhaust from the BMW is cleaner than the air it took in. Does that warrant BMW referring to their hydrogen-burner as a "pollution-consuming internal combustion engine?" Perhaps we're just picking nits, but that sounds a wee bit like greenwashing. It's not like the overall air is cleaner after going through the system, after all. Read their entire press release after the break.

In what could either be a boon to companies which need to advertise and want to minimize their environmental impact or the ultimate in greenwashing, Brand Xperience has launched a new all-electric vehicle marketing division. Using electric trucks (look like Zap! Xebras) with what appears to be custom billboards in the bed, the company claims, "Go Green is the only mobile billboard advertising company dedicated to the sole use of all-electric, zero emissions vehicles for special events, street sampling and mobile billboards." We must say, we're not aware of any direct competition in this segment...

According to Go Green Advertising Senior Vice President, Bob Kopach, "Advertising with our electric vehicles not only allows a company to send its message in a unique and cost-effective way, but also communicates that the company cares about the environment." We're not so sure that companies which truly care about their environmental impact would specifically want to run out and use this service, but we can at least agree that using these electric vehicles would save on gasoline.

[Source: Brand Xperience]

Åslaug Haga is not only the Petroleum and Energy Minister in Norway, but she is also the chief of the ruling Center Party. As such, she is a powerful politician in a country known both for its progressiveness and a large oil industry. Perhaps it is only a little surprising then that her latest car purchase was a Th!nk electric vehicle. Not that a politician can't be an environmentalist. And indeed, during this election season, we here in America have been made well aware of the hybrid choices of some our own Presidential hopefuls. It could be that Ms. Haga, who doesn't have the greenest of reputations amongst the folk of the fjords, is spending a her hard-earned kroner on both transportation and public relations. The Norwegian government no longer supplies its ministers with cars since a little brouhaha over the issue a couple of years ago.

According to Cobos over at the Tesla Motors Club forum, from whose post I originally learned of this story at Oblad.no, since Haga is buying one of the first Th!nks off the line, the minister is receiving a certificate numbered 0001from the EV Association of Norway which says, "all EVs in Norway run on hydroelectric".

Whatever her motivation, I sincerely hopes she enjoys her new coal- and oil-free EV.

[Source: Oblad.no via user Cobos at Tesla Motors Club forum]