Author: Haitham Razagui

An indictment on the slow uptake of R1234yf in vehicles exported to Australia is that the same number of cars were found to have a full charge of R12 – banned since the mid-1990s – as were running YF in the latest annual mobile air-conditioning survey report produced by Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA). Produced using … Continue reading Slow YF uptake and poor refrigerant recovery rates are cause for concern

The refrigerant safety panel at Wire & Gas provided a stark reminder to all in the automotive repair sector need to be vigilant about hydrocarbon refrigerants when working on air-conditioning systems, and to ensure they are not adding to the problem by contaminating their refrigerant cylinders with flammable mixtures. Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) general manager … Continue reading Automotive repair sector must remain vigilant of hydrocarbon refrigerants

“As I stand here today, it is now unlawful for a car manufacturer to withhold service and repair information from independent repairers for any vehicle manufactured from 2002 onwards. It’s unlawful. Small fines, 10 million bucks each time.” Powerful words from Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) government relations and advocacy director Lesley Yates during her … Continue reading Wire & Gas 2022 attendees shown how to use new AARSA repair info portal

Despite distinct angles and different participants, electric vehicle panel sessions at both the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Expo and Wire & Gas shared a common takeaway message: Workshops and technicians will be a key educator during the electrification transition. Furthermore, those who embrace this role stand to benefit earlier, and most, from the opportunities this transformation … Continue reading Workshops are the educators: AAAA Expo, Wire & Gas EV panels

Darwin-based Arctic Installations has received funding to locally manufacture its innovative refrigerated truck and cool room insulation panels insulation solution, designed for the unique climatic and weather requirements of tropical regions. The company constructs refrigerated trailers from scratch and has an HVAC/R partner come in to install the refrigeration systems. It intends to displace fully … Continue reading Local manufacture of refrigerated truck and cool room insulated panels in the Top End

Australian federal Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek has announced a new bill intended to introduce “stronger measures to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and continue to play its part in helping heal the world’s ozone layer”. In addition to ozone-depleting substances, the legislation also manages synthetic greenhouse gases such as HFCs like … Continue reading Ozone laws updated as report finds ‘Black Summer’ bushfires damaged the ozone layer

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are becoming an increasing topic of concern due to the fact they do not easily break down and start to accumulate in the environment and living organisms, then make their way up the food chain in potentially high concentrations. Several northern European countries and the EC is undertaking work on … Continue reading Global PFAS concerns will likely lead to tougher refrigerant controls, Australia opens consultation

“By somewhere between 2025 and 2028, there will be a new refrigerant on the market dedicated to EVs from the factory.” This was the bombshell dropped by Mobile Air Climate Systems Association (MACS) president Peter Coll at Wire & Gas 2022. Continue reading At least five new refrigerants under consideration for automotive applications

future:gas is back in 2023!

In the six years since the first future:gas refrigerant roadshow took place, there have been changes of government on both sides of the Tasman, escalating uptake of electrified vehicles and unprecedented use of the word ‘unprecedented’ caused by a seemingly relentless barrage of plague, fire and flood. While all that has been going on, a … Continue reading future:gas is back in 2023!

Shirley (left) and JB Senior

Shirley Blanchard, who with the late John Blanchard Senior founded what is today Australia’s largest family-owned importer and wholesaler of automotive parts, has passed away. In a statement, CoolDrive Auto Parts said: “With Senior’s attention to detail and entrepreneurial spirit, combined with Shirley’s business sense and organisational skills, the CoolDrive business grew exponentially, setting the … Continue reading Vale Shirley Blanchard