EPA pops the hood on incentive for car start-stop systems

Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, on Monday said his agency plans to “fix” engine start-stop systems that the agency has incentivized manufacturers to use. He characterized the technology as making cars die at every red light so that companies get a climate participation trophy. Vehicle owners hate it, he said. Zeldin didn’t specify what changes the EPA intends to make.

What’s the benefit of start-stop systems? The systems can improve fuel economy by 4%-5%, according to the EPA website. By automatically turning off the engine when the vehicle stops and starting it again when a driver presses the accelerator, the technology saves gas that would be used while idling. Users save the most gas in city traffic, according to the EPA. The feature’s automatic nature is supposed to ensure that the battery doesn’t drain while the engine is switched off, according to a General Motors website.

Why do some people find start-stop systems annoying? While most new cars that include start-stop includ an option to turn it off, some don’t. And many vehicles have start-stop set as the default option, forcing drivers who don’t like it to turn the system off each time they drive, according to Road and Track. Several social media users replying to Zelden’s post about start-stop also worried that the technology could be unsafe, for instance, if their car stalled at a short stop before a left turn.

Do carmakers receive incentives for including the technology in their vehicles? The EPA grants carmakers something called off-cycle credits for implementing start-stop systems. Essentially, off-cycle credits reduce the EPA’s calculation of a car’s overall CO2 output, enabling carmakers to meet legal emissions standards or advertise their cars as low-emissions.