It wasn't all that long ago that the auto industry was under fire for its use of ozone-depleting chemicals in its air conditioning systems. To curb those fears, the older R-12 refrigerant was replaced with R-134a refrigerant. Interestingly enough, CO₂, long associated with harmful automobile emissions, is being touted as a desirable natural replacement for the chemical substances used today. In fact, the German Automotive Association has already chosen to use CO₂ as the next source for automotive air conditioning.

Another possible replacement for our current system is being proposed by DuPont and Honeywell. Known as HFO 1234-yf, it is a chemical refrigerant which is less efficient that current solutions. Safety concerns have also arisen regarding the flammability of the new chemical. For these reasons, auto manufacturers are meeting at an event next week in the appropriately hot climate of Phoenix, Arizona in an effort to make some sort of decision on how to proceed. We'll keep you updated.