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.

Who would have thought that a concept as simple as compressed air could be a viable automotive technology? Sure, we all fill our tires with the stuff, but some automakers - MDI, for one - are considering compressed air as an energy carrier, like a battery. Whether a vehicle is engineered to run solely on air power or if the energy is stored as part of a hybrid system, the very air we breathe could provide propulsion for our vehicles.

What's Number 8?

The Scuderi Group has developed a breakthrough air-hybrid powertrain, claimed to be the world's most fuel efficient internal combustion engine, according to a report from Technology News Daily. The engine will debut at the Engine Expo 2006 in Stuttgart, Germany, which runs from May 9th until the 11th. The engine promises to double the fuel efficiency of today's automobiles and reduce toxic emissions by up to 80 percent. On top of that, the concept promises to make hybrid vehicles easier and less expensive to build. The engine is able to recapture and store energy in the form of compressed air. With the addition of a small air storage tank and some controls regenerative braking is achieved. The Air-Hybrid also has the capability to recapture energy from the exhaust of the engine. The Scuderi Group's webpage has a pretty detailed write-up of how the concept works. We can expect the first diesel and gasoline prototypes in 2007, and we can't wait to see how it works in the real world.

[Source: Technology News Daily]