Autoblog

VW joins Daimler's protest of new A/C refrigerant as EU deadline for compliance passes

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen

The case of Dupont and Honeywell's refrigerant R-1234yf is doing the exact opposite of keeping things cool. The two chemical companies have spent years and hundreds of millions of dollars developing R-1234yf to replace R-134a, the new refrigerant shown to be 99.7-percent kinder to the environment than the one it is meant to succeed. Part of that development has been years of testing by governments, outside safety agencies and automakers to approve the chemical for use in cars. It passed the protocols necessary for the European Union to declare that new and significantly revised cars from 2013 onward needed to use R-1234yf, and mandated that every car as of 2017 must use it.

Enter Daimler AG. The automaker created a head-on collision test with a B-Class at their Sindelfingen test track that would lead to the pressurized refrigerant being sprayed on the engine. The result in 20 out of 20 test was that the refrigerant burst into flames as soon as it hit the hot engine, while Daimler says that R-134a does not catch fire in the same test. Another unexpected result of the R-1234yf test was the release of hydrogen flouride, a chemical far more deadly to humans than hydrogen cyanide, emitted in such amounts that it that turned the windshield white as it began to eat into the glass.

Said a Daimler engineer in a Reuters piece, "It was scarcely believable. The most complicated lab tests conducted using the most sensitive measuring instruments around found nothing and all we do is drive a car around a couple of times, open a tiny hole in the refrigerant line and the next thing you know the car is on fire." So Daimler said it wouldn't use the refrigerant, and it recalled the cars it had already shipped with R-1234yf.

Honeywell and Dupont pointed to the years of successful tests and accused Daimler of deliberately staging its test so that the car would catch fire - various fluids in an engine will catch fire if sprayed on the engine in a certain way - suggesting among other things that Daimler didn't want to pay the higher cost of the R-1234yf coolant. At least two other German and Austrian testing agencies have cautioned against the new chemical, a German firefighters organization has lobbied to have it banned while a rival German firefighters organization has cleared it for use, some German authorities are asking that automakers be given more time by the EU to conduct more tests, and it's reported that 13 carmakers have begun their own testing based on Daimler's initial findings.

A report in Bloomberg says that Volkswagen has joined Daimler in refusing to use R-1234yf in its cars. There aren't any 2013 VW models that fall under the EU mandate for use this year, so the fact that VW is speaking up means it wishes to lodge a vocal protest. Other automakers are still committed to the new chemical; Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC are still switching over in 2013, and Toyota in the EU has gone on record saying it hasn't found any safety issue with R-1234yf. The EU says it will enforce its decree, but no penalties have been mentioned for any automaker defying the order. Honeywell and Dupont are waiting to see what will happen, a Honeywell manager saying, "The key element for the EU government is forcing the implementation of their rule."

VW joins Daimler's protest of new A/C refrigerant as EU deadline for compliance passes originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turbo sales to accelerate by 80%, could make up 40% of global offerings

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Technology

It's an increasingly turbocharged world out there. At least according to Honeywell, one of the major automotive suppliers for turbochargers around the world. And it's easy to understand why - as fuel mileage requirements are increasing, engine sizes are decreasing. To continue offering the power levels to which modern automotive buyers have come to expect, forced induction offers a ready solution.

Just how many turbochargers are we talking? Last year, Honeywell claims that turbocharged passenger vehicles accounted for 25 percent of the global market, for a total of 20 million vehicles. By 2017, says the report, that number will swell to 36 million new vehicles, which would be about 40 percent of global sales.

In other words, it's time to get used to seeing those exhaust-driven snail-shaped spools under the hood of new cars.

Turbo sales to accelerate by 80%, could make up 40% of global offerings originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honeywell tapped to provide turbos for Ford

Chris Shunk — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

Ford has committed to putting 500,000 vehicles on the road annually with its Ecoboost direct injection + turbo technology, which means the Blue Oval is going to need a whole bunch of turbochargers. After some searching, Ford has chosen Honeywell to be the supplier that puts some fuel-sipping pep into its engine lineup. Honeywell already supplies turbo chargers to several European automakers, where forced induction has been an accepted practice for boosting small engines for years.

Ford says its Ecoboost technology can, for example, enable four-cylinder engines to produce V6 power with four-pot efficiency, which will go a long way toward helping the automaker achieve its goal of reducing fuel consumption by 30% or more by 2020. The first vehicle to receive Ecoboost is the Lincoln MKS, with the Taurus, F-150, and Flex following after that.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Honeywell tapped to provide turbos for Ford originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jay Leno's bio-diesel turbine supercar isn't a joke

Mike Magda — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 04:10:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, SEMA Show, Etc., Green, Supercars, GM

UPDATE: Live shots from SEMA show floor added after jump

Jay Leno may have made fun of corn farmers and the Toyota Prius, but he unveiled a stunning mid-engine supercar that is environmentally friendly and hopefully an inspiration to young car enthusiasts. The covers were pulled off Leno's EcoJet on Monday at a late-night ceremony in the Wynn's Hotel in Las Vegas where the car will be displayed at the SEMA Show.

"I drive it, wait for the harvest, get some corn and drive it some more," quipped Leno, who told Autoblog that he is also converting his shop to solar power in an effort to be more environmentally conscious.

Leno said he originally wanted a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle but time constraints killed that idea. Bio-diesel was the backup plan, so Leno sought out a 650-horsepower Honeywell LT-101 turbine engine, mated to a Corvette automatic transaxle. Much of the vehicle platform is based on the C6 Corvette, including a special aluminum frame, brakes and suspension components. What was the targeted top speed for the 2,400-pound car? "How much fun can you have with it," answered Leno, noting the exhaust sounds like "a jet engine taking off."

Designer from the GM Advanced Design Studio worked with sketches Leno originally made on a napkin. Leno said there were no constraints placed on the design, like where the golf clubs would go. The idea was built to be a fast, fun vehicle with design cues pulled from Formula 1 and various aircraft. Perhaps the most eye-catching and innovative design elements are the turbine-inspired, Alcoa-built wheels (20x10 front, 22x12 rear) and the massive exhaust slots -- one for each side of the engine. The water-born paint is from BASF and the interior isn't finished, but Leno promises it will be "cruelty free," so Pam Anderson of PETA fame will take a drive with him.

Continue reading Jay Leno's bio-diesel turbine supercar isn't a joke

Jay Leno's bio-diesel turbine supercar isn't a joke originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Oct 2006 04:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors actively reducing Delphi parts count

Chris Paukert — Thu, 04 May 2006 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Earnings/Financials

Bo Andersson, General Motors' vice president of global purchasing admits that the automaker is actively working to reduce its dependence upon bankrupt Tier-1 supplier Delphi. In fact, GM held a meeting with a number of different companies to ask who would like to make up for the supplier's shortfall. For example, GM stopped sourcing spark plugs from Delphi a few weeks ago, transferring its orders to companies like Denso, Honeywell and NGK. The company is also stockpiling parts in key operations in case of a Delphi shutdown.

The move stands to not only lessen the blow to GM if Delphi goes on strike, it also allows the supplier to close down part of its operations and streamline itself in an effort to recover financially.

[Sources: Purchasing.com; PlasticNews.com]

General Motors actively reducing Delphi parts count originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 May 2006 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honeywell orphans crash test dummies

Stuart Waterman — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Safety

Honeywell International announced Wednesday that it will sell its First Technology Safety Systems unit, which provides integrated crash testing solutions (including an extended family of crash test dummies), to a European private investment group for $87.3 million.

FTSS is based in Plymouth, Michigan and is a subsidiary of First Technology plc. Acquisition of the U.K.-based parent company by Honeywell was completed just last week, for $508 million. Unfortunately for the dummies, Honeywell bought First Technology for its gas sensing business, not its automotive operations.

FTSS's crash business is pretty interesting, actually. Their website is worth a quick look if you're the technologically curious type.

[Sources: First Technology, Reuters]

Honeywell orphans crash test dummies originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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