Stop and Start
I’ve mentioned before my fondness for cars made more than a decade ago…far fewer bells and whistles, no big screen on the dashboard, more things a driver controls as opposed to what’s done automatically.
The first time I drove the station vehicle, which is only a few years old, and stopped at a stop light, I thought I had broken the car. That’s because it sounded like the engine stopped. Then when the light turned green and I accelerated, it fired back up again. I asked about it and was told that’s what cars do these days.
Now again, I’m not longing for the days of the Model T or the Maxwell. But there was something unsettling about the car just shutting down.
Now comes word that may change. The federal EPA is speaking out against this technology that automatically turns off a car’s engine when it is stopped at red lights to save fuel, a feature agency administrator Lee Zeldin said every driver “hates.” The feature has become common in new vehicles as a way to save money on gas and cut down on emissions.
The EPA does not require stop-start technology, but automakers that adopt it have been given extra fuel economy credits. Fox Business reports that advocates for the technology support it as a climate-friendly initiative, while critics find it annoying and question whether it can wear down the car’s battery or engine more quickly.
Cars generally have a button allowing drivers to disable the feature. Wonder how long it would take for anyone here to notice if I found that button.
First, lifting restrictions on water flow in a shower…then restoring incandescent light bulbs…and maybe getting rid of stop-start technology.
Forget $400 million planes…this is the stuff that affects everyday Americans.
