Donald Trump-appointed Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin tweeted on Monday implying he will be making it his mission to roll back any progress that automakers had made on automatic start/stop technology. In an effort to make driving more efficient, nearly every automaker has incorporated technology that turns your car’s engine off when you come to a stop. According to Axios reporting, some 65% of new cars sold in 2023 were equipped with the fuel-saving tech. Not only does auto start/stop reduce fuel consumption from idling, but also reduces the associated carbon dioxide emissions, making the unpleasantness of a traffic jam slightly better for your lungs and the earth. The United States Department of Energy concluded that idling cars waste an estimated six billion gallons of gasoline per year, so it stands to reason that Zeldin, in his capacity as head of the EPA, is looking to hand a big win to the fossil fuel industry, which has donated millions of dollars to Zeldin campaigns across his political career.
Start/stop technology: where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy. EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it. pic.twitter.com/zFhijMyHDe
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) May 12, 2025
The EPA has never mandated the inclusion, or even the option, of automatic start/stop technology, though there are incentive structures in place from the agency encouraging its proliferation. Early start/stop systems were, admittedly, a bit jarring and took some getting used to, but it’s been seriously improved over the last twenty years and most modern cars, particularly hybrids, have nearly seamless integration today.
What is there to fix, Mr. Zeldin?
Many shoot-from-the-hip detractors will offer that start/stop must have an adverse effect on the longevity of a car’s electrical system, though you may be surprised to learn that automakers typically engineer things like starters, batteries, and alternators to handle the rigors of starting your engine thousands of times for years of operation. There isn’t evidence of additional wear and tear on your engine’s internals, either, as most start/stop systems don’t function until the engine has reached proper operating temperatures, and typically pre-oil the bearings. Many cars equipped with automatic start/stop will also feature a button that allows the driver to turn off the system if they find it intrusive or annoying.
In my eyes, this isn’t really a problem that needs solving as much as it is a solution that may, or may not, benefit from some minor refining. I suppose there could be an argument for removing the incentives pushing automakers to include the tech, as it’s basically an industry standard at this point, but that doesn’t seem to be the tack Mr. Zeldin is taking. I’m chalking this up to yet another Trump Administration grievance that is based on little more than creating more fuel for the culture war fire. Somehow your engine turning off at stop lights to save you money on fuel is so-called woke or anti-American, I guess? For a variety of reasons, this doesn’t seem like it should even rise to the desk of the head of the EPA. If anything this is an act of environmental destruction.
