"Start-Stop" systems, which automatically turned off a car's engine when it stopped in traffic to save fuel, are being phased out thanks to a new decision by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The decision, announced on February 12, removes federal incentives that car manufacturers received for installing these systems.
This technology, often criticized by drivers for frequent and sometimes annoying engine interruptions, was part of measures to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
EPA officials said that eliminating off-cycle credits will stop supporting start-stop systems as a way to comply with federal regulations. However, manufacturers can continue to offer these systems as an option, but they will no longer be mandatory or incentivized by the government.
The decision reflects a broader move by the administration to reduce vehicle emissions regulations, focusing more on consumer choices than on legal mandates for fuel-saving technologies.
Industry experts say this could reduce the use of start-stop technologies, especially in new standard model vehicles, making it a trend that is gradually disappearing from the market. /Telegraph/
