EPA Eliminates Emissions Credits for Start-Stop Ignition
The EPA has ended a program that granted emissions credits to automakers for using automatic start-stop ignition systems. This change removes a common strategy used by automotive OEMs and their suppliers to meet fleet-wide emissions targets. Manufacturers will now need to pursue alternative methods to achieve regulatory compliance.
- The "off-cycle" credits for technologies like start-stop ignition were first introduced by the Obama administration's EPA in 2012. These credits were intended to reward automakers for adopting fuel-saving technologies whose benefits were not fully captured during standard emissions testing procedures. - This decision is part of a larger deregulatory action that also eliminated the 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding, which was the legal basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The EPA claims this broader deregulation will save Americans over $1.3 trillion. - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has been a vocal critic of start-stop technology, referring to it as the "Obama switch" and a "climate participation trophy with no measurable pollution reductions." - Start-stop technology is present in approximately two-thirds of new vehicles. Studies have shown the feature can improve fuel economy from 7% to 26%, depending on driving conditions. - The EPA has argued that the credits were a regulatory loophole that allowed automakers to claim GHG credits without delivering significant real-world emissions reductions. - This regulatory change was announced by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and President Donald Trump at a White House event. - Without the incentive of emissions credits, automakers may choose to make start-stop systems optional or remove them from some models to reduce costs and cater to consumer preferences.
