Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Monday commended Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin for targeting his “pet peeve” — an auto feature intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“You know the on-off, the stop-start button on your car? I hate that thing,” Duffy told the crowd at an event in Detroit. “Thank you, Lee Zeldin. He’s gotten rid of it, and the first cars without the start-stop button are rolling off the line.”
In February, the EPA announced it would axe federal incentives for vehicle manufacturers that include the feature in their models. Former President Obama’s administration introduced “off-cycle” credits for vehicles that used the technology in 2012 as a way to reduce greenhouse gases.
The tech automatically stops an engine when the car is not moving and starts again when the driver presses the pedal. It cut nearly 10 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually as of 2023, according to Battery Council International.
In a statement announcing the change, Zeldin pushed back against the fuel efficiency regulations.
“Not only do many people find start-stop annoying, but it kills the battery of your car without any significant benefit to the environment,” he said. “The Trump EPA is proudly fixing this stupid feature at Trump speed.”
The elimination of the start-stop button credits was part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to reverse federal emission rules to reduce costs for manufacturers and consumers.
