Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency’s new sheriff, is gunning for a car feature that drivers love to hate. The EPA administrator announced plans to dismantle start/stop technology, which kills your engine at red lights in the name of saving fuel.
The New York Post reported that Zeldin revealed his plan on Feb. 17, 2025, to roll back the start/stop tech that’s been creeping into vehicles since 2012. This feature, meant to cut emissions and boost fuel economy, has automakers raking in federal credits while drivers grit their teeth.
Back in 2012, under President Obama, the EPA rolled out a rule pushing “off-cycle CO2 reducing” tech, including start/stop systems.
By 2017, new fuel economy standards had automakers scrambling to comply, and the tech spread like wildfire. Zeldin’s not impressed, and neither are most drivers.
From just 1% of vehicles in 2012, start/stop tech jumped to 45% by 2021, thanks to those juicy carbon credits.
By 2023, a whopping 65% of new models had engines that shut off at stoplights. That’s a lot of drivers stuck with a feature they didn’t ask for.
“Start/stop technology: where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy,” Zeldin tweeted on Feb. 17, 2025. He’s not wrong—drivers hate the jerky restarts and the feeling of a car that’s playing possum. Yet the EPA once swore this was the future.
The agency claimed start/stop could improve fuel economy by 4% to 5%. But an EPA spokesperson admitted it hasn’t shown clear emission cuts in tests. So much for saving the planet while annoying drivers.
“EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it,” Zeldin declared in another tweet. If his proposal sticks, automakers will lose federal credits for using start/stop tech. That’s a swift kick to a system that’s been milking green credentials for years.
Critics of the tech argue it wears down car batteries and engines faster than normal driving. No wonder drivers are fed up with their cars shutting off like they’re on a coffee break. Zeldin’s plan could let automakers ditch the feature without losing EPA brownie points.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the auto industry’s big trade group, hasn’t weighed in yet.
They’re probably too busy figuring out how to spin this to their green-obsessed investors. Meanwhile, drivers might finally get some relief.
Zeldin’s not stopping at start/stop tech—he’s got a laundry list of environmental policies in his crosshairs. He’s already aimed at New York’s climate law tax incentives and Biden-era green grants. This guy’s on a mission to dismantle the woke agenda one regulation at a time.
In January 2025, Zeldin exposed $20 billion in taxpayer funds from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, stashed at Citibank for “far-left activist groups.” That’s the kind of revelation that makes you wonder what else is hiding in the green machine. Actions have consequences, and Zeldin’s shining a light.
President Trump’s January 2025 executive order gave Zeldin a clear mandate: slash at least 10 regulations for every new one proposed. The EPA chief is relishing the chance to “unleash prosperity through deregulation.” Start/stop tech is just the first domino to fall.
Zeldin’s also been vocal about New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s anti-fossil fuel policies. He’s slammed her for banning “safe extraction” of natural gas, gas hookups, gas stoves, and the Constitution Pipeline while pushing to phase out gas-powered cars. It’s a masterclass in hypocrisy, and Zeldin’s calling it out.
On Feb. 18, 2025, Zeldin shifted gears to announce a water policy at EPA headquarters, flanked by West Virginia’s congressional delegation. The man’s moving fast, signing orders and shaking up the agency’s priorities. He’s not here to play nice with the woke climate crowd.