DUH vs. VDA… raising the stakes
R744.com - 2009-05-29
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At a press conference this morning, environmental group DUH has accused German carmakers of a breach of word regarding CO2 MAC. In a press release hastily issued by the VDA yesterday, German carmakers urge Asian, American, and European manufacturers to support them in their choice of the most climate-friendly solution. Who is credible in a refrigerant debate still heating up?
DUH vs. VDA… raising the stakes The DUH perspective

“After the German government poured a warm shower of subsidies and tax rebates worth billions of euros over the automotive industry, the sector shows its thankfulness in a special way: On the quiet, the German auto makers have stopped the promised development of car air-conditioning with natural and climate-friendly refrigerants, being determined to still use the climate-damaging refrigerant R134a beyond the year 2010,” Jürgen Resch, President of German environmental group DUH, stated in a press conference this morning. The DUH, having followed the issue over several years, concludes that although CO2 (R744) has been investigated for more than a decade, its viability has been proven a long time ago, and German suppliers have been waiting for orders for their market-ready CO2 solutions, German OEMs are not moving any closer towards an early introduction of R744 Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC). On the contrary, having wasted at least a year with hesitation and a parallel investigation of newly introduced chemicals, the Germans would now have a hard time to meet an EU deadline of 2011 when only refrigerants with a GWP of below 150 can be used in new passenger cars.

A chronology issued by DUH today provides a comprehensive overview of more than 10 years of “announcements and breaches of promise” where since 2003 the German automotive association VDA has repeatedly stated that CO2 would be the refrigerant of choice to replace R134a. Environmental organisations, international bodies, federal environment agencies, and the supplying industry are quoted with clear statements in favour of the natural refrigerant.

The VDA perspective

The VDA, however, has placed the ball in someone else’s court by stating that only a global choice of R744, but not an isolated German or European solution, would be an option. In a press release published yesterday, VDA President Matthias Wissmann is quoted as saying: "We need agreement on a worldwide standard to maintain the competitiveness of the European automotive industry. Separate individual solutions are not an option. We are continuing to focus on the most climate-friendly solution and hope that Asian, American and French manufacturers, for example, will also work towards a common standard.” For this purpose the VDA, uniting all German OEMs, has “written to all vehicle-makers worldwide asking for a common strategy on this important topic."

Although the VDA acknowledges that “German suppliers in particular are doing a lot to advance the development and application of natural refrigerants. New refrigerants open up completely new possibilities in cooling while at the same time improving efficiency, thus benefiting the environment and promoting climate protection”, the VDA demands “a common agreement among all vehicle manufacturers on a standard refrigerant”.

In its press conference this morning, DUH has reacted to these arguments, stating that “Daimler, BWM or VW-Porsche are hiding behind American and Asian manufacturers (…). This recipe has not worked for any of the technology introductions (we saw in the past). There have always been some pushing ahead with innovative technology”. On the contrary, German carmakers would more and more leave the field to foreign manufacturers when it comes to introducing environmental technologies. “In the field of car air conditioning there was and there still is this opportunity to win back part of the lost credibility,” Resch concludes.

ACEA asks for delay of EU deadline

While the German automotive industry is facing increasing pressure from governmental and non-governmental bodies, the European automotive association ACEA is preparing for a deliberate breach of the EU MAC Directive. In a position paper sent to the European Commission mid-May, ACEA claims that the timely compliance with the 2011 deadline is already out of scope and asks for a further delay.

This is a deliberate attempt of non-compliance even after the EU Commission issued a clarification last month clearly stating that there will be no exemption for cars with a partial type approval without the MAC system.

DUH now calls on the German government and the EU Commission to state without any doubt that no new car will be allowed with R134a after 1 January 2011. All national type approval authorities would need to be instructed to deny the type approval for any car not complying with the EU law. In addition, all public authorities should commit themselves to only consider OEMs in public procurement that would be in time for the 2011 date.

HFO-1234yf no option anymore, DUH is sure

While discussions about the early use of CO2 MAC are heating up in Germany and elsewhere, the DUH is sure that “the by now tested chemical alternative R1234yf is once and for all off the stove. No consumer would want to sit in a car with such a dangerous refrigerant”. The use of 1234yf, hastily introduced by chemical giants DuPont and Honeywell “fearing to lose the automotive core business with the introduction of CO2 in Germany and Europe”, would be “completely out of all reason (…) when a natural alternative has been ready for years. There is a good alternative and there is no sensible reason to not use it”, the DUH press release reads.
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2009-06-02 21:26:47 - Alexander Cohr Pachai
I just wonder how much chemistry we can allow to be in air and still call it fresh air. Look at monuments that have been standing around for hundreds of years. Now they errode in matter of tens of years due to the polution. "When will man ever learn"
2009-06-01 04:28:24 - John Clark
The acceptance of R1234yf with it’s much publicised “independent safety reports” is a remarkable feat. The “independence” of these test reports remains dubious while ever the criteria for the testing remains confidential information. However the published, peer reviewed, documented safety record of HC’s in MAC’s is on the public record in the article published in the International Journal of Refrigeration 27 (2004) 339-345. HC’s have been used safely in MAC’s in Australia, the US and many Asian countries for 15 years now, but the agenda set by the promoters of chemical refrigerants ignores this real world data. The Beatles said it well in their classic song titled Everything is Beautiful, “There is none so blind as he that will not see”.
2009-05-30 08:04:23 - Anonymous
I am not a little surprised by Mr Matthias Wissmann's argument, that a uniform worldwide choice of one refrigerant for MAC would enhance competitiveness in the international motor car industry. To me this argument is fatally flawed when he says that competitiveness is enhanced by reduced distinction between brands, models etc. by choosing a common refrigerant for all cars made in the world. For example, German car manufacturers have led the way in introducing diesel engines to most of their vehicles, which is much more costly technology than conventional petrol engines. Yet this has contributed to the success of the German motor car manufacturing industry, as it distinhuished itself from the foreign competition.

Similarly I suggest that by choosing a natural refrigerant like CO2 for car AC cooling and heating the German motor car manufacturing industry would be able to score a major and decisive point of distinction between itself and the motor car manufacturers in the rest of the world. Properly marketed this message will be clearly understood by the buying public, who are becoming increasingly sophisticated about judging envirionmental issues simply because they are very concerned. So I believe that introducing the natural refrigerant R744 as a MAC refigerant would give the German car manufacturers a COMPETITIVE EDGE, rather than a competitive disadvantage. Using General Motors as an example it is clear what can happen to a major corporation when it ignores what its market tells it. One ignores the market at one's peril.I strongly believe that introducing CO2 as a working fluid for MAC by the members of VDA would entitle all the members of the VDA to claim : "VORSPRUNG DURCH TECHNIK!" rather than only one of its members. There are two more points warranting a mention.

Firstly, the sorry post second world war history of industrial chemical products like DDT, PCB's, AGENT ORANGE, R12 and other CFC's etc. should make man reflect on the amount of damage that has already been done unwittingly by these substances, which were developed with the best of intentions. This begs the question why continue to wittingly use chemicals like R143a, which are known to be harmful to the envirionment, if a perfectly suitable natural refrigerant like CO2 is available. I have only one adjective for such action and that is CRIMINAL ACTION. It should be outlawed by the full force of the law including international law.

My final point is that I was absolutely elated several years ago when I leraned mainly via this medium that the VDA had decided that CO2 was their preferred solution as a working fluid following the MAC Directive. I have informed numerous people of this decision in support of my campaign to introduce CO2 in many more applications as I have personal experience in working with a CO2 refrigeration plant on board an old ship. I am also an expert in the application of the natural refrigerant Ammonia. I accepted the sincerity of the VDA in embracing CO2 as a refrigerant to be used in car AC and was elated. Now that the VDA is wavering and hiding behind the erroneous and fallacious argument that selecting R134a as their preferred option, they will make a liar out of me should that happen.

I sincerely hope that the EU's MAC directive has the force of law. Not even the VDA can afford to break the law and will do so at its peril. The next round will then likely be the argument between the barbarians DUPONT/HONEYWELL (DH) with their flammable H1234f as an alternative to Hydro Carbon's (HC's), R134a and R744. Is DH the tail wagging the VDA dog? Why does DH exagerate the flammability characteristics of HC's, whilst downplaying the flammability of H1234f and its dangerous combustion gases, which may potentially be more injurious to human health than the flames themselves? What is the source of such blatant hypocracy? GREED? Is greed still beautiful and aceptable when it leads to known damage to the enviroment, from which humanity will suffer for hundreds of years to come? Or do we simply say: "Apres nous les deluges!" (After us the flood!) or "Chacun pour soi et Dieu pour nous tous!" ( "Everybody for himself and God for us all!"? What sort of lower animal species is the human race if it will wilfully pursue a course of action which will ultimately contribute to its own destruction? Are we no better than the proverbial lemmings running head over heals to the cliff edge fully intending to jump over the edge?

I recommend to the EU to rewrite the MAC directive to specifically exclude the use of chemical refigerants in MAC and further to point out to VDA they have been misleading the public by promising a natural refrigerant solution for some years. If the EU has made an unintended mistake in specifying a GWP of 150 or less for MAC working fluids which inadvertently led to a high
flammability risk, does the EU not have the power, nay the duty , to correct this mistake and legislate the use of natural refrigerants only in the interest of public health and safety?

I apologise for posing so many questions. As the Chinese say and I quote:

"One fool can ask more questions than ten wise men cab abswer!"

Yours sincerely

Klaas Visser.
L.AIRAH, Hon.M.IIR, M.Inst.R, M-eurammon, Mc-dig.




2009-05-29 19:55:35 - jon
It does not surprise me to see governments, USA as well as German, dumping huge bail out cash onto the worst nardowells of our culture, only to have them make a fool of us all. In the past our governments didn't just hand over the money like that. They gave people incentives to produce buy and sell the things needed.

We the people are the ones who have screwed this up by collectively allowing our governments to maintain this hold over us all. So much for CO2 leadership from the west. Let's see what China will come up with since that is where all this bailout money is heading.

Perhaps a name change for our watch dog friends may be in order as well. Duh?! Or, is this how governments wish for this whole environmental issues thing to look? Duh!
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