|
›
Carmakers end research on chemicals, VDA confirms |
 |
A spokesman of the German car industry has confirmed to international media that further research on new chemical refrigerants has been suspended. Manufacturers will focus instead on a more environmentally friendly alternative for car air conditioning.
|
2007-08-01
|
Prestigious international media, including the International Herald Tribune and Forbes, have reported on the decision by German carmakers to stop the development on all new chemical refrigerants. According to Eckehart Rotter, spokesman of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), these blends have been discarded as they are 150 to 1,500 times more environmentally harmful than carbon dioxide.
|
Concerning the future use of CO2 in car air conditioning, Rotter announced intensified talks between car manufacturers and suppliers to solve open technical questions. Thereby, the VDA spokesman told the Associated Press, "an intermediate step to more climate protection has been made."
Automotive expert: CO2 benefits industry and consumers
|
|
|
Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, a recognised expert of the German automotive industry, welcomed the VDA statement. He confirmed that the performance of CO2 (R744) equals that of the current refrigerant HFC-134a before adding that a switch to more environmentally friendly CO2 air conditioning would not lead to economic burdens for car buyers: "I do not believe that there will be any price increases for consumers."
Regarding the impact on the supplying industry, Dudenhöffer insisted "after five to six years of testing, CO2 has become a part of many car suppliers' portfolio" with many automotive suppliers having already reacted to the trend for CO2 some time ago. He concluded that the adoption of CO2 would not cost any jobs in the supplying industry.
Alvaro de Oña
|
Media Coverage:
› 3 August 2007: Automobilindustrie (GERMAN)
› 31 July 2007: International Herald Tribune
› 31 July 2007: Forbes
› 31 July 2007: Boston Globe
› 31 July 2007: MSNBC
› 31 July 2007: PR.inside (GERMAN)
› 31 July 2007: Die Neue Epoche (GERMAN)
See the feature article: "German carmakers choose R744"
|
