On September 25, 2012, Daimler AG of Germany─parent company of Mercedes-Benz─announced that it will stop using HFO-1234yf refrigerant in its vehicles. HFO-1234yf, the supposed successor to R-134a, had begun phasing its way into motor vehicle air conditioning systems in Europe and the U.S. 

 

According to Daimler, a real-life test scenario mimicking a head-on collision revealed flammable properties exhibited by HFO-1234yf. This occurred after a severed refrigerant line released HFO-1234yf refrigerant near hot parts of a vehicle's exhaust system.

 

In the interest of safety, Daimler announced that it's not moving ahead with HFO-1234yf in its vehicles. Rather, the company will continue to use R-134a refrigerant even though it will likely violate environmental regulations in Europe.

 

Will Daimler's position impact world views towards HFO-1234yf and its U.S. Rollout? What do you think?