Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

Luckily I haven't had a car that needed it yet, but sooner than later it's inevitable. It's been out probably 8 years now and still costs nearly $60 a pound while I paid less than $3 per pound for 134a last year by the drum.

I would guess, arguably, that it's mainly a supply-and-demand issue.

So far, I don't believe many vehicles in the USA use it. And those that do are relatively new and don't need A/C service yet. So not much R-1234yf is being sold to car-dealer service departments and independent MVAC professionals.

Additionally, I think small A/C shops are holding off on purchasing the costly, specialized equipment required for servicing R-1234yf-equipped vehicles. The result is that the amount of R-1234yf being used is still fairly low and the price from Honeywell/Chemours is still fairly high.

I'd think body shops get in plenty of cars so equipped by now. I think some Cadillacs and Chryslers started using it in 2013.

atikovi wrote: ↑Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:18 am I'd think body shops get in plenty of cars so equipped by now. I think some Cadillacs and Chryslers started using it in 2013.

Points well taken. It seems we'll have to wait a little longer, though, for market forces to take hold, for additional companies to start producing it, and subsequently for pricing to come down to the reasonable levels to which we're accustomed.

Honeywell has a monopoly

Automotive refrigerants that leak out of A/C systems contribute very little to the overall global warming problem, only about 0.14% according to scientific estimates. Even so, when you multiply the millions of vehicles that are AC-equipped times even a small amount of refrigerant leakage over time, the numbers can add up. Some would argue that switching to a new refrigerant is unnecessary and will hardly make a dent in climate change. Others argue that it is all a conspiracy by DuPont and Honeywell to monopolize the world automotive refrigerant market by getting regulators to require a new low global warming potential refrigerant.

https://www.aa1car.com/library/hfo-1234yf.htm

And a bottle of water for $3.99, please.

I believe the patent is still in play. I had a tough time trying to find out when it is up. Hopefully soon. Prices will drop quickly once other manufacture's can produce it.

and with that said...Honeywell ain't messing around.
https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/ ... -shipment/