John Blanchard Senior has passed away in Melbourne at the age of 87, following a long battle with illness. He spent his lifetime working within the Australasian automotive industry, with his achievements recognised in 2019 when he was inducted into the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association’s Hall of Fame. JB Senior received the VASA Pioneer Award … Continue reading Vale CoolDrive Founder WJ Blanchard
Tesla has released a scan tool for aftermarket repairers in the United States, making training outside the brand’s dedicated network a real possibility for the first time, according to Massachusetts-based EV repair training facility ACDC, founded by Craig Van Batenburg. Craig is now in the process of developing a Tesla training course for aftermarket repairers. “The … Continue reading Aftermarket Tesla repair training on the horizon
The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association has advised that its flagship trade expo will take place at the same time as the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix, putting pressure on flight and accommodation availability in the Victorian capital. To assist with the high demand for hotel rooms, the AAAA has made a dedicated booking service available, and though … Continue reading Auto Aftermarket Expo: Time to get organised
The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association’s flagship trade expo is back in April next year with some new initiatives and tweaks to the format. Returning to the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and co-located with the Collison Repair Expo, the Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo is now officially confirmed to take place from 7 – 9 April. … Continue reading Auto Aftermarket Expo is go
A Colorado-based start-up has come up with an efficient and effective evaporative cooler that could be adapted for mobile applications and has won this year’s Airbus Sustainable Mobility Challenge. Best suited to the kind of hot, dry climates found across much of Australia, the M-Cycle cooler is claimed to overcome the high water consumption and … Continue reading Evaporative cooling solution for mobile AC?
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will administer the nation’s phase-down of HFCs by 85 per cent over the next decade and a half, in line with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Part of the initiative will include a push to recover and reclaim existing refrigerant, support the development of alternative refrigerants … Continue reading United States HFC phase-down takes shape
A joint proposal by Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden to ban low global warming potential HFOs such as R1234yf along with around 4700 other chemicals including HFCs that are already being phased down, has been opposed by Dutch HVACR industry association NVKL. Citing existing European Union F-gas rules as “the correct European legislation” to … Continue reading Fightback against proposed Euro HFO ban
The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) is urging caution and consultation on ambitious electric vehicle (EV) targets announced by Australian state and territory governments, as well as the federal opposition, after commissioning a study that predicted EV uptake in this country will reach just six per cent by 2030. AAAA chief executive Stuart Charity described some of the recently … Continue reading AAAA questions government EV targets
Supercar manufacturer Ferrari appears to be working on a new HVAC control system that will keep the rarefied air of its vehicle cockpits at precise temperatures. A patent filed by Ferrari includes details of climate control sensors that measure the temperature of vehicle occupants, as well as taking into account the general cabin air temperatures … Continue reading Ferrari patents climate control innovation
Komatsu and Scania are making big training pushes to address skills shortages in the heavy transport and off-highway sectors, while drivetrain component supplier Dana is supporting technical training for electrified mining equipment. Earthmoving and mining equipment manufacturer Komatsu is investing $6m in establishing a training hub in Perth, construction of which is expected to be … Continue reading Big training push in heavy, off-highway sectors
