Has there ever been an automobile feature as widely despised as the stop-start system that the Obama administration forced on the country? Unlikely. Which is why new federal action that kills the requirement is cause for celebration.
The “feature,” which is the wrong word for what’s truly a nuisance, automatically shuts off a car’s internal-combustion engine when it is idling at a red light or stuck in traffic. It restarts the engine when either the foot comes off the brake pedal or the accelerator is pressed. The action is jerky — it too often feels like a minor collision — distracting and tiring, producing a driving experience that’s more wearisome than enjoyable.
It’s also likely that the system increases wear on a car’s starter and battery, forcing owners to replace them sooner than they otherwise would — though its few supporters claim this isn’t so.
The industry was coerced by the Obama administration to include the function in every new car to improve fuel efficiency and cut emissions. Automakers weren’t required to make it standard, but it became a mandate of sorts in 2012 because the government gave them a credit if they added the confounded gadget to their lineups.
To the relief of many, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin eliminated the credit in February as part of the Trump administration’s unwinding of useless and counterproductive Obama-era environmental rules.
Last week Zeldin followed up with an announcement that the Trump EPA had removed “the ridiculous climate participation trophy the Obama” White House “created to get this hated feature installed. The incentives for manufacturers to make your car die at every red light and stop sign have now been ELIMINATED!”
It “is arguably one of the most annoying features of any new car,” says Motor1.com. Slashgear reports that the frustration caused by the function “is so severe that you can find ‘Autostop Eliminators’ selling online.”
“Some people (automotive PR folk and EPA representatives, mostly) will tell you that it’s a great idea, saving you hundreds in fuel expenses each year,” says CarBuzz. “Others would like to reach through the dashboard and rip the control module out with their bare hands to keep it from ever shutting the engine down at a red light again.”
Car Coach analyst Lauren Fix told The New York Post she had “not met one person who likes start/stop technology.”
Zeldin said that as he “traveled across all 50 states this past year,” he “heard from countless Americans who not only dislike the start-stop feature but passionately advocated for this mechanism to be a thing of the past.”
We are grateful the Trump administration listened and is terminating what was nothing more than another ambush in the Democrats’ war on cars.
— Written by the I&I Editorial Board
I & I Editorial Board
The Issues and Insights Editorial Board has decades of experience in journalism, commentary and public policy.