EPA ends credits for automatic start-stop vehicle ignition, a feature Zeldin says everyone hates'

"The Environmental Protection Agency announced an end Thursday to credits to automakers who install automatic start-stop ignition systems in their vehicles, a device intended to reduce emissions that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said everyone hates. In remarks with President Donald Trump on Thursday at the White House, Zeldin called start-stop technology the Obama switch and said it makes vehicles die at every red light and stop sign. He said the credits, which also applied to options like improved air conditioning systems, are now over, done, finished."

"Start-stop is a technology that automatically shuts down a vehicle's engine when a driver comes to a complete stop, and then automatically restarts the engine when the driver takes their foot off the brake pedal. Developed in response to the 1970s oil crisis, the feature was intended to cut vehicle idling, fuel consumption and emissions. About two-thirds of vehicles now have it, providing drivers with anywhere from 7% to 26% in fuel economy savings, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers."

"Zeldin repeated the generally-debunked claims that start-stop systems which are mostly useful for city driving are harmful to vehicles, asserting Thursday that it kills the battery of your car without any significant benefit to the environment. This latest Trump administration move to cut automotive industry efforts to clean up their cars and reduce transportation-driven emissions came as Zeldin and Trump also announced a broader repeal of the scientific finding known as endangerment that has been the central basis for regulating U.S. greenhouse gas emissions."

The EPA ended credits for automakers that install automatic start-stop ignition systems and related efficiency options. Administrator Lee Zeldin criticized start-stop systems, calling them the "Obama switch," saying they make vehicles stall at lights, damage batteries, and offer no significant environmental benefit. The administration announced plans to repeal the endangerment finding that serves as the foundation for U.S. greenhouse gas regulation. Start-stop automatically shuts off an engine at a full stop and restarts when the driver releases the brake. The technology, developed after the 1970s oil crisis, is present on about two-thirds of vehicles and can improve fuel economy by 7% to 26%.

Read at www.eastbaytimes.com