The Ministry of Commerce has tightened advertising controls following increasing complaints in the electric car sector. In the meeting of the Advertising Board on June 12, 2025, it was examined how the range information of the vehicles was presented to consumers.
Record fines were imposed for misleading range statements in advertisements
A total of 103 files were discussed; 92 of them were found to be against the legislation. In this context, a decision was made to stop the advertisements in question and a total administrative fine of 15 million 846 thousand 894 TL was imposed.
In the examinations, it was determined that many brands advertised their vehicle ranges based on laboratory data obtained according to the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure) standard. However, it was determined that these tests did not reflect real driving conditions. The Ministry ruled that such presentations were misleading by affecting the consumer’s purchasing decision.
The Ministry of Commerce also announced the rules to be followed in the future regarding the presentation of range values. It will be necessary to clearly state which test standard the range data used in advertisements was obtained according to.
In addition, it will be clearly stated that the range may vary under real-life conditions and is directly affected by factors such as driving style, air temperature, air conditioning and heater usage.
In the general assessment for the first half of 2025, it was reported that the Advertising Board examined 838 files and 753 of them were found to be in violation of the legislation. A total of 141.1 million TL worth of administrative fines were imposed in the first six months of the year. The Ministry announced that inspection activities will continue in line with the goal of protecting consumer rights and ensuring fair competition in the market.
