Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority has asked Daimler to recall 134,000 cars filled with R134a-based air-conditioning systems. The Federal Environment Agency is urging the manufacturer to turn to CO2 as an alternative.
From 2020 onwards, Deutsche Bahn AG plans to make their air-conditioning in new trains use natural refrigerants.
A new service unit for CO2 mobile air conditioning (MAC) systems – developed by AVL DiTest in collaboration with Daimler – has been approved by the German car manufacturer, paving the way for increased uptake of CO2 vehicle A/C in Europe. Daimler is obliging all 2,700 of its European workshops to install at least one CO2 servicing unit within the next few years.
At this year’s Busworld Bitzer revealed its new compressors for mobile air conditioning applications, which include flexibility for the use of R290.
Konvekta is trialing its CO2 MAC units in high ambient temperatures for the first time this year with French transport provider RTM. The ongoing trial will be key to the company’s, and the industry’s, adoption of CO2 MAC throughout Europe – a hot topic at Busworld 2015, held 16-21 October, in Kortrijk.
For the first time the German Institute for Standardisation (DIN) has released standards relating to R744 components and MAC systems. Four of the 20 standards are yet to be completed, while 16 have now been published, prompting the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) to strongly supported the move.
Regie des transport de Marseille (RTM) is moving to phase out R134a in its mobile air conditioning, running tests using CO2 on two of its new buses in 2015. German manufacturer Konvekta is now bringing its proven MAC technology from the domestic market and Poland, to France.
Volkswagen follows through with its commitment to use CO2 in mobile air conditioning systems as an alternative to HFO-1234yf under the MAC Directive.
At the 11th Gustav Lorentzen Conference on Natural Refrigerants, Johanna Gloël of GIZ Proklima presented on the potential for China to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the use of natural refrigerants, which would replace fluorinated gases in car air conditioning systems. The research suggests that GHG emissions in China could be reduced by 30% by 2030.
The need to switch to environmentally friendly and safe refrigerants in mobile air conditioning systems (MAC) doesn’t stop at passenger vehicles, which have received considerable attention in recent months due to the controversy surrounding refrigerant R1234yf. The German Environmental Aid Association is now calling on transport companies and bus manufacturers to make the switch to CO2 MAC systems.
