Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency intends to get rid of the engine start/stop system used in many modern vehicles, describing the feature as widely unpopular.
Zeldin took to X to criticize the technology, writing, “Start/stop technology: where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy.” His post quickly gained traction, amassing over 8 million views, according to a Wednesday report in the New York Post.
“EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it,” Zeldin said in a follow-up statement, making it clear the agency is acting in response to public dissatisfaction.
Although the EPA does not require manufacturers to implement stop-start systems, it currently offers extra mileage credits for carmakers that include the feature in their vehicles.
The system, designed to shut off the engine temporarily when a vehicle halts at stoplights or in traffic, has been marketed as a way to boost fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Yet detractors claim the frequent stopping and starting puts extra wear on both engines and batteries, ultimately doing more harm than good.
This fuel-saving mechanism falls under the category of “off-cycle CO2 reducing” technologies and was introduced through a regulation first proposed during the Obama administration in 2012. However, the rule didn’t take effect until 2017, coinciding with updated fuel efficiency benchmarks.
Since its introduction, the technology has rapidly expanded in use—from being present in only 1% of vehicles in 2012 to 45% in 2021, and reaching 65% of all new vehicles by 2023.
Previous estimates from the EPA suggested that start/stop systems improve fuel efficiency by about 4% to 5%, but a current EPA spokesperson acknowledged the data doesn’t clearly indicate any meaningful drop in emissions.
Contrasting that assessment, Battery Council International has stated that as of last year, the use of such systems has cut nearly 10 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
Should the EPA follow through with removing the incentives, automakers would no longer qualify for credits tied to including the system in their latest models.
Zeldin has also been vocal in his opposition to various green subsidies and environmental tax benefits, including some associated with New York’s own climate programs and grants initiated by the Biden administration to advance clean energy goals.
Zeldin, who previously served as a Republican congressman from New York, has taken aim at Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul for halting natural gas extraction, banning gas stove installations in new homes, preventing new gas hook-ups in buildings, and blocking gas-powered vehicle sales and major pipeline developments such as the Constitution Pipeline.
{Matzav.com}