Honeywell says the European Commission’s (EC) scientific report concerning its r1234yf refrigerant marks the “final word” in the contentious issue that has pitted Germany and Mercedes-Benz in particular, against Brussels and France.
The EC tasked its Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Italy to examine the findings of Germany’s road safety authority, the KBA (Kraftfahrt Bundesamt) and noted there was “no evidence of a serious risk in the use of this refrigerant in MAC systems under normal and foreseeable conditions of use.”
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Honeywell has long criticised “a single automaker” for its stance, but Mercedes maintains the r1234yf coolant could present a fire hazard in certain conditions, with the German manufacturer championing its preferred r134a refrigerant instead.
France initially banned Mercedes-Benz A, B, CLA and SL models using r134a – a move subsequently overturned by Paris’ highest Court – while the issue also attracted the attention of the German government which backed its automaker against Brussels’ enthusiam for its MAC Directive.
Honeywell announce [s] the EC’s top scientific and technical body has concluded Honeywell’s new low-global-warming-potential mobile air conditioning refrigerant, HFO-1234yf, is safe for use in automobiles, marking the final word in a thorough and inclusive evaluation process,” said a Honeywell statement.
The chemical producer insists on the JRC’s independence, noting its report “builds on a vast body” of testing and safety evaluations by industry, automaker and government agencies.
“The JRC’s independent and unimpeachable report leaves no doubt HFO-1234yf is safe for automotive applications,” said Honeywell Fluorine Products VP and general manager, Ken Gayer.
“We continue to see strong adoption by global automakers of this new refrigerant as they work to meet new environmental regulation, especially in Europe, and are investing in production capacity to ensure adequate supply.”
The JRC issued its 17-page report supporting its conclusions after a three-month evaluation during which Honeywell says, it thoroughly reviewed testing undertaken by a range of leading automakers as well as automotive engineering body, SAE International and independent test agencies.
Honeywell also noted the JRC provides independent scientific and technical advice to the European Commission to broadly support policy-setting activities.
It oversees seven scientific institutes across Europe with a wide range of laboratories and research capabilities.
