The Trump administration has eliminated federal incentives that encouraged automakers to install automatic engine start-stop systems in new vehicles.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the change alongside President Trump at the White House. The decision ends “off-cycle” credits created by the Obama-era EPA in its 2012 greenhouse gas emissions rule.
Those credits gave manufacturers regulatory relief toward stricter fuel economy and emissions standards when they added the technology, which automatically shuts off the engine at stoplights and restarts it when the driver releases the brake.
As part of the BIGGEST DEREGULATORY ACTION IN US HISTORY, the Trump EPA ELIMINATED all off-cycle credits that incentivized installation of the almost UNIVERSALLY DESPISED start/stop feature in vehicles. There will be no more climate participation trophies to manufacturers for… pic.twitter.com/4EIn6P9v0j
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) April 6, 2026
The feature was designed to save fuel and cut emissions. In practice, it became one of the most disliked elements in modern cars. Drivers frequently complained about the abrupt engine cutoffs, delayed power when accelerating from a stop, and extra wear on batteries and starters. Many simply turned the system off using a dashboard button.
The EPA described the start-stop feature as “almost universally hated” and said removing the credit gives consumers more choice while easing costs for automakers. The policy shift is part of a broader rollback that also repealed the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding and related vehicle standards for model years 2012 through 2027 and beyond. The change does not ban the technology outright—automakers may still offer it voluntarily—but they will no longer earn compliance points for including it.
For drivers across North Texas and the country who have grown frustrated with the frequent engine cycling in traffic, the move could mean smoother rides in future model-year vehicles. Existing cars with the feature are unaffected.
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