1.2 Hydrocarbon in MACs
Conversion of CFC and HFC MACs to Hydrocarbons: Hydrocarbons offer reliable
alternatives to HFCs in mobile air-conditioning (MACs). Though at the present there are no
hydrocarbon based mobile air-conditioners on the world market, an estimated 7 million cars have
been converted, outside of regulatory framework, from CFCs and HFCs to hydrocarbons. Such
routine drop-in conversion are taking place in Australia, United States, Canada, Philippines and
elsewhere.
In 2002, the Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) performed a survey that found 2% of
vehicles presented for repair in the US were charged with hydrocarbon refrigerants, which
equates to over 4.2 million vehicles. Similarly, a study by the University of New South Wales
estimated that 4.7 million U.S. vehicles were charged with hydrocarbons as of 2004. The same
study also documented extensive use of hydrocarbons in Australian vehicles.