Nissan's '80 kW fast-charging' Townstar ad upheld as misleading by the Dutch RCC

On its website, in the downloadable 'prices and specifications' for the Nissan Townstar, Nissan advertised the electric van as having a "CCS fast-charging connection up to 80 kW" and an "80 kW fast-charge connector CCS".

A consumer who had driven the van objected. At and above 20°C the Townstar reached 70 kW for only a minute before dropping quickly below 40 kW; near freezing it managed only 11–16 kW. On a 2.5-hour trip he had to spend 3 hours charging, and around half of chargers failed to communicate with the car. He supplied screenshots of the charging sessions.

Nissan did not file a formal defence. Its position was that charging speed depends on external factors and the stated figure was a peak reached under ideal conditions. The RCC's chairman agreed the figure was a peak value but found Nissan had not disclosed that it applied only very briefly.

The chairman ruled the omission — hiding that '80 kW' is a momentary peak, not real-world charging — could lead an average consumer to a transaction decision they otherwise would not have made, making the advertising misleading and therefore unfair under Article 7 of the Dutch Advertising Code. Nissan was told to stop advertising in that manner.

RCC ruled the omission misleading: the peak was technically true but hid real-world charging, so Nissan must stop advertising that way.

'80 kW fast-charge' is a peak the van holds for about a minute, then loses — advertising it without that caveat sold a charging experience the car does not deliver

The figure was technically true and practically misleading, which is precisely the omission the RCC punishes

Nissan chose not to defend the claim, so the chairman's ruling was made on the consumer's logged evidence

A precisely true spec can still mislead if it hides the difference between a peak and real-world performance. Advertising '80 kW' without saying it lasts a minute turns a fact into an omission.

The RCC chairman ruled the website's '80 kW' claims were misleading by omission under Article 8.3(c) and unfair under Article 7 of the Dutch Advertising Code, recommending Nissan no longer advertise in that manner without stating the charging power is a peak reached only briefly. The case turned on real logged charging data from an owner, in winter, that the peak figure conspicuously failed to describe.