Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said earlier this week that the controversial start-stop fuel-saving technology in cars could be eliminated. But, together with President Trump, Zeldin has just announced a far more polarizing and extensive rollback of emission regulations for vehicles in the United States.
The Obama-era 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding and subsequent federal GHG emission standards have been eliminated. These standards were applicable to 2012 and newer vehicles. Combined with other measures, it’s said to be the single largest deregulatory action in the country’s history.
The Full Scope of Trump EPA
The automatic start-stop off button in a 2012 BMW 7 Series
BMW
Trump and Zeldin’s announcement will also do away with off-cycle credits, which includes the start-stop feature. They claim the Endangerment Finding wrongly justified trillions of dollars in regulations, increasing the costs of vehicles for American families and small businesses. The new ruling claims savings for Americans of over $1.3 trillion.
“The Endangerment Finding has been the source of 16 years of consumer choice restrictions and trillions of dollars in hidden costs for Americans,” said Administrator Zeldin. “Referred to by some as the ‘Holy Grail’ of the ‘climate change religion,’ the Endangerment Finding is now eliminated. The Trump EPA is strictly following the letter of the law, returning common sense to policy, delivering consumer choice to Americans and advancing the American Dream. As EPA Administrator, I am proud to deliver the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history on behalf of American taxpayers and consumers. As an added bonus, the off-cycle credit for the almost universally despised start-stop feature on vehicles has been removed.”
The EPA’s findings suggest that even if all GHG emissions were to be eliminated from vehicles in the U.S., it would have no material impact on global climate indicators until 2100. By reducing compliance costs and eliminating the Endangerment Finding, average cost savings of $2,400 per vehicle have been claimed by the White House.
Related: Car Prices Hit $50,000. Now the U.S. Wants to Ease Emissions Rules
Democrats, Former President Obama Push Back
Today, the Trump administration repealed the endangerment finding: the ruling that served as the basis for limits on tailpipe emissions and power plant rules. Without it, we’ll be less safe, less healthy and less able to fight climate change — all so the fossil fuel industry can…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 12, 2026
Although Trump claims only good can come of the decision, it’s an opinion not shared by everyone. Keith Wilson, mayor of Portland, was one of the early critics of the decision.
“The fact of the matter is that we are already experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis,” said Wilson according to KGW8. “With this ideologically driven decision, the EPA is taking away some of the most important tools we have for regulating emissions, like car and truck emissions standards.”
A joint statement released by Wilson and Jessica Vega Pederson, Multnomah County Chair, pointed to science-backed evidence of global warming. One such example was the “heat dome” of 2021, which resulted in almost 100 people in Oregon dying. The duo said such an outcome was “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change.
Former President Barack Obama took to social media site X, saying that without the Endangerment Finding in effect, “we’ll be less safe, less healthy, and less able to fight climate change—all so the fossil fuel industry can make even more money.”
Related: The Fed’s New Emissions Rules Could Make Cars More Expensive
What It Means
2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock
Stellantis
With this change, carmakers can effectively double down on gas power without investing in the expensive emissions technologies that have been required until now. The U.S. is likely to fall even further behind in the EV race. At first glance, this is good news for enthusiasts who love powerful, gas-guzzling sports cars and SUVs, but the longer-term effects are worrying.
Not only will the progress made in reducing emissions be reversed, but environmentalists doubt the cost-saving claims for Americans, as they will have to spend more to fuel less efficient vehicles that are more polluting. Peter Zalzal from the Environmental Defense Fund told the BBC that the health impacts from the new ruling could cause 58,000 additional premature deaths.
Not all automakers have responded to the news yet, but Ford Motor told CNBC it appreciates that the imbalance between customer choice and current emissions standards has been addressed. EV-only carmakers will surely feel differently.
The debate between the opposing camps will surely continue for many months.
