The Trump EPA is stepping up once again—this time to save Americans from the inconvenience of buying less fuel. In response to feedback from “countless” Americans, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency will announce action regarding auto-start/stop functions this week.
“Countless Americans passionately despise the start/stop feature in cars,” Zeldin said in an X post. “So many have spoken out against this absurd start-stop-start-stop-start-stop concept.”
“The Trump Admin has heard your calls and the announcement you have been waiting for is coming THIS WEEK,” Zeldin’s post continued. “Stay tuned!”
The feature shuts off the gas engine when a car is idle to save fuel. According to real-world use studies by multiple independent groups, auto-start/stop can produce a real-world annual fuel savings of between 7 and 24%—potentially saving urban and suburban drivers hundreds of dollars every year. Some detractors repeat debunked claims that the cost savings are offset by increased maintenance costs.
“There’s sometimes a misconception that these systems are bad for the engine or starter, so some drivers disable the functionality,” Alex Knizek of Consumer Reports said. “They are designed for this function, but like any added feature, there is the possibility that they will need maintenance or repair down the road.”
When the feature was first introduced, the EPA allowed automakers to claim higher fuel efficiency in their vehicles only if the function was permanently enabled; those that offered the ability to defeat the system were granted a smaller allowance. Eventually, these rules were streamlined to allow automakers to give customers more flexibility in using the feature, but as a result, many early cars that shipped with auto-stop/start had no way to defeat it—at least, not legally.
If this all sounds vaguely familiar, that’s probably because the EPA recently unwound regulations surrounding diesel exhaust after-treatment systems to address owner complaints about maintenance and costs. In that case, at least, the concerns over real-world maintenance and repair were better grounded in reality.
This is just the latest in what is expected to be a continued gutting of U.S. emissions regulations. Like Zeldin said, stay tuned.
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