R744 is a refrigerant grade of CO2 gas and is used in car air conditioning systems as a replacement for R134a and R1234yf gases. It is becoming increasingly popular due to its strong “green” credentials. With an Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) rating of 0 and Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 1, it is seen as an excellent gas to be used by car manufacturers.
However there is something of a “cool war” in the car air conditioning industry with some manufacturers opting for other refrigerant gases. The supporters of R744 have had to do some substantial engineering in order to use this system as it does not work on older can aircon systems so is not a like for like replacement. However they believe its non-toxic and non-combustible properties make it a safe alternative to other refrigerant gas choices.
Although R744 is not yet widely in use some big brands such as Audi, VW and Mercedes have been adopting it for their most recent models.
For example VW will be using this CO2 refrigerant in one of their electric car models by the end of 2019. A VW spokesman was quoted as saying
“the firm’s commitment to using CO2 as the refrigerant in its new series of cars is part of a long-term strategy by the car manufacturer. “
Polar Aircon Offers R744 Car Air Con Regassing and Servicing
AS R744 is still not widely used we are one of the few air-conditioning service companies that has invested in the necessary equipment to be able to offer this service.
Our mobile service can come to your garage or body shop to carry out the work so that we can work on one or several vehicles if required.
Please drop us a line or give us a call to discuss your requirements and we can give you an estimate for the cost of the work.