EPA Plans to End Incentives for Auto Start/Stop Systems, Impacting Emissions Regulations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Administrator Lee Zeldin, has announced plans to eliminate incentives for automatic start/stop systems in vehicles. This technology, which turns off a vehicle's engine at stoplights and in traffic to conserve fuel, is part of a broader rollback of emissions-related regulations. The EPA's decision is accompanied by the revocation of the 2009 'endangerment finding,' which served as the scientific basis for federal greenhouse gas controls. The auto start/stop feature is prevalent in modern internal-combustion vehicles, present in about two-thirds of new cars and trucks, and offers fuel-economy improvements ranging from 7% to 26% depending on driving conditions. Despite its benefits, the EPA and the Trump administration argue that the technology is unpopular among drivers, describing it as 'almost universally hated.' The removal of regulatory credits is expected to reduce automakers' incentives to include this system as standard equipment. 
