US President Donald Trump launches crusade on ‘single stupidest feature in vehicles’

The US administration has issued a bold demand to eradicate what it calls the “single stupidest feature in vehicles”.

The much-maligned feature was introduced during Barack Obama’s presidency and later rolled out to Australia and Europe.

President Donald Trump’s newly assigned Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lee Zeldin, is taking aim at the widely detested automatic stop-start feature in cars.

Mr Zeldin suggested the engine shut-off technology, which is designed to reduce emissions by turning off engines when vehicles are stationary, could be scrapped, despite its widespread use.

“Start/stop technology: where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy. EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it,” Mr Zeldin wrote on X.

The feature has become standard in modern vehicles around the world as emission regulations have become more stringent.

Although the benefits are clear for improving the state of the environment, many drivers find the technology frustrating.

Drivers expressed their enthusiasm for the feature’s potential removal in replies to Mr Zeldin’s post.

One user, who said they were a car salesman, claimed that “nearly everybody hates” the feature. While another said it was the “dumbest” feature ever installed in vehicles.

Another user, Matt Van Swol, said if “Trump can get this done, he belongs on Mount Rushmore”.

Car manufactures benefited from the introduction of the feature, receiving tax credits for contributing to cuts on fuel use and carbon emissions.

However, according to news.com.au, there is little data that proves whether stop-start technology has directly reduced emissions.

While the vast majority of new cars in Australia have it, especially those with automatic transmissions, it remains to be seen what impact the US administration’s decision will have on cars sold here.