Well to be fair it means it is possible to have no carbon footprint at all.

If you recharge with 100% green energy, and ignore how much fossil fuel went into the manufacture and transport of all the pieces involved...

Exactly. It is erroneous, a lie. It exaggerates the environmental benefits to gain economic advantage. It is greenwashing.

IMO these attempts to cling to personal motorised transport are an inefficient use of talent and divert attention from bigger issues. Let's get to 100% green energy first and see if there is any left over for the luxury of running private motor vehicles.

Hmm - well - I think there is room for action on several fronts at once.

I like Tesla Motors concept of selling you solar panels with the car - over time it could make for a large volume of distributed, renewable energy generation. It might not be 100% carbon neutral, but its much better than the present day state of affairs...