134A Replacement --- Already?

HFO-1234yf

Automakers around the world are seeking a cost-effective, commercially viable low global warming potential (GWP) replacement for the R-134a refrigerant. Together with DuPont, Honeywell has developed a fluorinated gas solution called HFO-1234yf, which enables automakers to meet EU low GWP requirements.

Some key benefits of HFO-1234yf include:
HFO-1234yf is a near drop-in replacement to R-134a, which means it could possibly be used in the existing fleet of automobiles without requiring a complete redesign of current air conditioning systems, leading to lower costs and faster adoption by automakers.

We believe that HFO-1234yf is the most environmentally friendly refrigerant available for automotive air conditioning. It has the lowest life-cycle climate performance (LCCP) rating of any of the R-134a replacement options, due to its higher energy efficiency, which results in lower fuel consumption. Furthermore, the atmospheric lifetime of HFO-1234yf is 11 days, compared to 13 years for R-134a.

HFO-1234yf performs as well or better than R-134a in all climates, meaning that it can be a global replacement for R-134a.

HFO-1234yf is safe. Though HFO-1234yf is mildly flammable, studies have concluded that the flammability risk of HFO-1234yf is significantly less than the flammability risk associated with the use of gasoline itself in a passenger automobile.

Honeywell and Dupont are working closely with the automotive industry to commercialize HFO-1234yf. Honeywell is a leader in fluorocarbon technology and we are actively pursuing next-generation chemistries to meet the growing needs of our customers worldwide.

More information can be found here http://www.1234facts.com