self-charging hybrid advertising were recorded in multiple countries, and in 2020 the Norwegian Consumer Authority banned the adverts outright in Norway for misleading consumers, stating: “It is misleading to give the impression that the power to the hybrid battery is free of charge, since the electricity produced by the car has consumption of gasoline as a necessary condition.”. Later in 2020, a study by Transport & Environment concluded that real-world emissions from hybrid vehicles were, on average, over two and a half times those of official test values. Another report found that even the most efficient hybrid vehicles produce at least 40-70% of the emissions of a petrol or diesel car, and will have created 15% more emissions in its manufacturer than a battery electric vehicle would have. As the world's biggest producer and marketer of hybrid vehicles, Toyota has attracted the greatest attention in the wake of these reports, given that the Japanese manufacturer plans to increase hybrid production at a time when most major manufacturers are switching to solely producing electric vehicles by 2035 due to the contribution of cars to the climate crisis. This was compounded in early 2021, when Toyota was fined a record $180 million for failing to comply with the Clean Air Act’s emissions reporting requirements from 2005 to 2015. Misleading marketing Toyota has also drawn negative attention for its marketing campaigns, which use studies funded by the manufacturer to substantiate claims about the efficiency of their vehicles. An exposé by IrishEVs found that Toyota Ireland had paid University College Dublin to conduct a study of just seven cars over seven days to make claims about the efficiency of their hybrid vehicles. Furthermore, Toyota Ireland had consistently used funded polls to substantiate claims about their emissions, and their perception as a “leading brand tackling climate change in Ireland.” No data or evidence was offered to validate these claims. Wheels falling off In June 2022, Toyota recalled 2,700 of its first mass-produced all-electric vehicles due to worries that their wheels could fall off during driving. It was discovered that the bolts on the bZ4X's wheels could loosen up to the point where the wheel simply detaches from the car, causing a loss of control over the vehicle and possible accident. Corporate affairs Toyota is headquartered in the city of Toyota, which was named Koromo until 1951, when it changed its name to match the automaker.