ROME, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Italy's advertising standards authority has blocked an ad campaign by Chinese EV maker BYD on defamation grounds, heeding a complaint by Franco-Italian rival Stellantis.
The decision, reached on Tuesday and publicised on Wednesday, relates to BYD's offer of generous bonuses to owners of cars with specific types of engine timing belts used on several Stellantis models, including its Peugeot and Citroen brands.
BYD's "Purefication" campaign, launched last month, promised up to 10,000 euros ($11,800) to drivers trading-in cars with "oil-bath" timing belts.
MESSAGES VIOLATE ITALIAN ADVERTISING RULES
Some Stellantis petrol engines, called "Puretech", were in the past equipped with this type of component, and have been the subject of official recalls and extended warranty offers due to reliability issues.
"Do you have an oil-bath belt? We're sorry it's always Blue Monday for you - discover the dedicated BYD bonuses - Operation PUREFICATION", was one of the campaign's slogans.
The watchdog said BYD's messages violated Italian advertising rules against defamation, comparative advertising and misleading commercial communications.
BYD had no immediate comment. It is one of a number of Chinese automakers pushing to expand their presence in Europe, with its Italian sales rising more than eightfold to 23,621 units during the course of 2025.
Stellantis welcomed the watchdog's decision, calling it "an important recognition of the need to protect consumers and competitors from unfair advertising."
($1 = 0.8462 euros)
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by David Holmes)
