New cars sold in the US will now have even fewer reasons to be fitted with start-stop engine technology, after the nation’s EPA repealed incentives for carmakers to fit what it dubbed as one of the most “universally hated” features.
In May last year, recently appointed EPA administrator Lee Zeldin flagged the agency would consider killing start-stop systems as a part of its broader repealing of emissions targets for manufacturers.
Overnight, the EPA has seemingly done just that, removing any fuel efficiency and emissions credits carmakers were receiving for installing start-stop engine systems, effectively giving them free reign to now go without the technology.
“The [President Donald] Trump[-led] EPA is strictly following the letter of the law, returning commonsense to policy, delivering consumer choice to Americans and advancing the American Dream,” Administrator Zeldin said in a media release.
“As EPA Administrator, I am proud to deliver the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history on behalf of American taxpayers and consumers. As an added bonus, the off-cycle credit for the almost universally despised start-stop feature on vehicles has been removed.”
The EPA claims its repealing of the greenhouse gas emissions policies will save approximately US$1.3 trillion (A$1.8 trillion) of taxpayers’ money, and added the average cost of new vehicles will be reduced by US$2400 (A$3390) as a result of the deregulation.
While start-stop systems were never enforced on new engine-powered vehicles in the US, the off-cycle credits they received – where the technology was looked upon favourably by the regulations – led to approximately two-thirds of all new cars being fitted with the engine systems.
The announcement follows a mass move by the Trump Administration away from reducing vehicle emissions, after first repealing a tax credit for EVs, followed by increasing the tailpipe emission targets and removing any penalties for exceeding them.
Carmakers can still choose to fit start-stop engine technology to their vehicles, though now they will have less of an incentive to do so in the US.
In Australia meanwhile, our New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) – which penalises carmakers for exceeding fleet emissions targets – sees the allowable grams of CO2 per kilometre reduced annually, encouraging the fitment of emissions-reducing technology to new cars.
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