SightGlass

Rodger Nardi

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

Unicla celebrated its 60th anniversary with a prestigious win: An Australian Good Design Award for its innovative eDrive electric compressor. The 80-member jury was impressed by the eDrive’s forward-thinking design, which represents a significant advancement in the industry. Unicla director  Mark Mitchell received the award at a ceremony in Sydney on September 20. The eDrive … Continue reading Good Design Award for Unicla eDrive

Wire & Gas 2024 was where former VASA CEO Ken Newton and founding VASA president Mark Mitchell launched their much-anticipated book, Cool Mavericks, which chronicles the remarkable history of the automotive air-conditioning industry. Captivating the audience with a tale of the exhaustive research and interviews with pioneers who contributed to this comprehensive account of how … Continue reading Job done: Cool Mavericks book launched at Wire & Gas 2024

During the 2024 Wire & Gas Gala Awards Dinner, VASA president Brett Meads unveiled a crucial new awareness campaign designed to address the risks posed by DIY refrigerant products and emerging multi-refrigerant market. In his speech, Meads was joined by John McCormack, a director of Refrigerants Australia, and Michael Bennett AM, former ARC chair and … Continue reading Refrigerant awareness campaign announced at Wire & Gas 2024

ARC Insights: Don’t fear the audit!

We often talk about the fear of the unknown, and rarely are such fears more unfounded than when an ARCtick licence holder is preparing for an audit, especially their first audit.  Officially these audits are called permit condition checks, and their purpose is to ensure that holders of a Refrigerant Trading Authorisation (RTA) are complying … Continue reading ARC Insights: Don’t fear the audit!

Lancia, the iconic Italian car-maker known for its rich rallying history, is making a significant return to motorsport with the introduction of the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF. This marks the first factory-built Lancia rally car in 32 years and includes the brand’s legendary Martini livery as per the 037 and Delta Integrale models from the … Continue reading Lancia to go rallying (and electric)

View from NZ with VASA New Zealand Director Catherine Tocker As the cost of living crisis puts pressure on household budgets in New Zealand, independent automotive repair shops are pushing for changes that could save customers money on vehicle maintenance and repairs. However, gaining fair access to vital technical information from manufacturers faces challenges due … Continue reading Choice of Repairer progresses in NZ