By the time you read this, we will have announced the inaugural winner of the ARC Award for Refrigerant Management in the automotive category. The winner is someone who keeps her workshop, equipment and paperwork very tidy and is meticulously compliant. Quality is a hallmark of her business. Quality is also a hallmark of ARC … Continue reading ARC Insights: Audit feedback
Ford announced at the recent ATMOsphere MAC Summit in Berlin that it aims to tackle the challenge of electric vehicle thermal management with the use of R290-based full secondary loop heat pumps. Developed with Denso, the technology uses propane as a refrigerant and is said to surpass traditional direct expansion systems by demonstrating significant efficiency … Continue reading Ford and Denso explore hydrocarbon refrigerant for EV thermal management
The automotive sector is driving a boost in the number of young Australians pursuing refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) as their career of first choice, reflected in the latest licensing data released by the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC). Over the past five years, both Refrigerant Handling Licences (RHLs) and Refrigerant Trading Authorisations (RTAs) have experienced significant … Continue reading More young Australians choosing cool careers
Scientists have observed a significant drop in the levels of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in the atmosphere. The most common, R22, poses a significant threat due to being an ozone-depleting substance with a high global warming potential (GWP) 1760 times that of carbon dioxide. A study led by the University of Bristol and published in scientific journal … Continue reading Atmospheric HCFC levels may have peaked
Mercedes-Benz issued a recall for certain 2022-2023 AMG G63s and 2023 G550 SUVs in the United States due to a data mismatch during production, which resulted in the vehicles being filled with the incorrect refrigerant. While the recall notice does not explicitly state the refrigerant used, it is likely that the SUVs were charged with … Continue reading Mystery Mercedes recall over refrigerants
Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association government relations and advocacy director Lesley Yates returned to this year’s Wire & Gas to deliver a wide-ranging and incisive presentation that addressed the challenges and opportunities facing the independent automotive repair sector. Yates offered an unflinching look at the realities of electric vehicle (EV) adoption, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), … Continue reading Embrace the change: Lesley Yates at Wire & Gas 2024
Delivering his final public address at Wire & Gas 2024, Australian Automotive Service and Repair Authority (AASRA) executive officer Rodger Nardi left a lasting impression on the audience before his retirement. Nardi, who was pivotal in building and implementing the infrastructure necessary for Australia’s landmark right-to-repair legislation, provided a wealth of insight into the complexities … Continue reading Getting right to repair right: Rodger Nardi at Wire & Gas 2024
InfinitEV business development manager Oscar Vall delivered an insightful Wire & Gas presentation that explored the rapidly evolving field of hybrid and electric vehicle battery repair, refurbishment, repurposing and recycling. As part of the pioneering InfinitEV team, Vall’s seminar focused on the challenges and opportunities wrought by the increase in vehicles requiring battery pack replacement … Continue reading The circle of battery life: Oscar Vall at Wire & Gas 2024
The Australian automotive industry is taking a proactive approach to environmental responsibility, with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) securing a $1 million grant to develop a national product stewardship scheme for end-of-life vehicles (ELV). However, publicity surrounding the announcement – including a study into ELV stewardship … Continue reading End-of-life vehicles proposal must reflect importance of refrigerants
Chemours and Honeywell have announced the development of a “retrofit approach for vehicles using the legacy R134a mobile air-conditioning refrigerant” that enables these systems to run R1234yf. As Honeywell rightly points out, there are hundreds of millions of cars on the roads “potentially leaking R134a every day.” Replacing all that refrigerant, with its global … Continue reading Retrofits to return: Why it won’t be simple
