Here’s the audio of my weekly gabble with Bill Meyer over at KMED radio in Oregon; we reminisced about the Cadillac Seville, talked in-car Alexa, the disappearing V6 and other items of interest!
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Hi Eric,
There’s been some discussion here recently about automotive A/C refrigerant, I can’t remember the article, but anyway. I receive many automotive mechanic trade magazines here at my shop and I read an interesting article about the new R1234yf refrigerant.
There is a connection as to why Chrysler builds Demons and Trackhawk’s, and the new refrigerant, and it has to do with “CAFE” numbers. This is how it works.
“…If an auto manufacture made an early transition to R1234yf, they received a credit that would offset the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE).
One of the first adopters of R1234yf was Chrysler, going back to 2014. The credits were used to make vehicles such as the Demon and Trackhawk fit into the overall CAFE numbers.”
Here’s the link to the article, page 88.
https://digital.shopownermag.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&pubid=9fbe8b6e-6571-4310-985d-a5b79a898007
Morning, William!
This is, indeed,interesting… in re R1234yf. I am glad FCA (Stellantis, now) was able to bob and weave a bit, for the sake of these cars and people’s ability to buy them. I doubt they’ll be around much longer, though, regardless – and this has been openly (ruefully) conceded by Steve Kuniskis, who is the guy in charge (for now) at Dodge. At least, not as any kind of mass market vehicles. Dodge may be able to get away with building a handful of them – this means not just Hellcats and Demons but regular V8 Chargers and Challengers, too – but the costs of CAFE/”carbon” emissions compliance will drive the price up so high that the only people who will be able to afford one will be very affluent people. This being on purpose.
Kuniskis says “electrification” is likely – but that will amount to the same thing and even if not, a muscle car without a V8 is like alcohol-free beer. I’d rather push a Briggs & Stratton.