Trump Administration Plans to Ban Auto Start/Stop – 'Everyone Hates It!'

【PCauto】Recently, Lee Zeldin, the newly appointed administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Trump administration, publicly announced the plan to ban the widely adopted start/stop technology in modern vehicles.

He claimed this technology serves merely as a tool for automakers to earn climate participation trophies, asserting that "everyone hates it" and indicating the EPA would address this issue.

What Lee Zeldin likely meant is that some people—including himself—dislike start/stop systems.

The technology disrupts driving smoothness with engine restart vibrations and noise, particularly irritating the driver in stop-and-go traffic where frequent activations occur. In addition, start/stop system of some vehicles are poorly calibrated, such as the engine will be restarted upon slight brake pedal release, impairing the driving experience.

Additionally, when the engine shuts off, so does the air conditioning, which is unacceptable in tropical climates, so that some drivers will disable the start/stop function immediately after restarting their vehicles.

Initially, automakers developed this technology to automatically shut off the engine during idling (e.g., at traffic lights or in congestion) and restart it when the driver releases the brake, aiming to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Studies indicate this technology can decrease fuel consumption by 4%-8.7% while reducing carbon emissions. Practical tests demonstrate that even stops shorter than 8 seconds still effectively reduce the fuel consumption.

Having been applied in vehicles for over two decades to meet the standards of fuel economy, the start/stop system and relevant components have undergone extensive optimization. Modern vehicles no longer suffer additional wear from frequent start/stop cycles.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin's proposed ban has been criticized as lacking substantiation and exaggerating public opposition while ignoring the start/stop technology's advantages in environmental protection. Notably, Zeldin—a self-described "climate change skeptic"—has no background in environmental law, science, or policy, with his appointment widely viewed as a political reward for loyalty to Trump and the result of deregulation.

While start/stop system actually impairs driving experience (like temporary AC shutdowns causing cabin discomfort), its emission-reduction efficacy has gained wide recognition. Moreover, many modern vehicles—including gasoline models like the Toyota C-HR—are equipped with refrigerant storage systems that maintain cool air output for up to one minute after engine shutdown.

The only reasonable criticism is that the vibration during engine restart is indeed irritating, especially when the cabin is very quiet. Even with hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), people are highly sensitive to noticeable vibrations during the transition between electric and engine power—any perceptible shudder gets negative reviews. For instance, the Accord HEV's engine engagement is smoother than the Camry HEV's, which has earned consumers' praise for Honda's hybrid technology.

In conclusion,regarding Lee Zeldin's stance, if start/stop systems are truly so disliked, it's better to develop the hybrid electric vehicles—at least their engine engagement is far less noticeable during driving. An outright ban on start/stop technology would undermine the EPA's authority.