VASA welcomed three new directors to its board during the organisation’s recent annual general meeting. Incoming president Brett Meads, who has been VASA vice president since 2013, succeeds Ian Stangroome. Mark Rowe, an owner of two auto-electrical workshops who joined the VASA board in 2019 and was recently elected to the board of Capricorn, becomes … Continue reading Meet the new VASA board
If racing improves the breed, controversy over the latest W206-generation Mercedes-AMG C63 S and its four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain may be unfounded as it shares plenty of tech with Lewis Hamilton’s company car. A total system output of 500kW and 1020Nm should also help sway those who think this is some kind of fancy Toyota Prius. … Continue reading New Mercedes-AMG C63 S plug-in hybrid is a thermal management masterclass
Next year’s Autocare convention in Brisbane is shaping up to be Australia’s largest education-led automotive event, its already packed line-up of trainers and speakers now confirmed to include renowned aftermarket diagnostic specialist Brandon Steckler from the United States. A qualified master technician and a world-renowned trainer, author and speaker, Brandon Steckler is an instructor at CarQuest Technical Institute … Continue reading Autocare 2023 training line-up firms for Brisbane event next June
The Auto Innovation Centre (AIC) has been awarded a grant from the Victorian Government’s Zero Emission Vehicles Commercial Sector Innovation Fund to help it become a new Zero and Low Emission Vehicle (ZLEV) hub, supporting the vehicle evolution within the aftermarket manufacturing, service, repair and modification sectors. The grant will help the AIC to break down … Continue reading AIC gets funding to prepare for electrified vehicle modifications and customisation
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
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 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
Six decades separate the launch of the two rockets pictured below. They look similar and both have the task of escaping Earth’s gravity so their payloads – sometimes including humans – can enter orbit. The NASA Saturn and SpaceX Falcon are technical marvels of their time. It is a similar story with the cold air … Continue reading Air Conditioning History Book project a chance for your name to (literally) be in the history books
