The future of automotive refrigerants: Navigating the regulatory transition

The global policy landscape for refrigerants is shifting from eliminating ozone-depleting substances to reducing global warming potential (GWP) via HFOs (the adoption of R-1234yf) to a complete ban on forever chemicals, while focusing on natural refrigerants. 

Europe, seen as the most aggressive regulator of climate and chemical safety laws, is shifting its focus from reducing GWP to addressing PFAS's long-term environmental impacts. While the MAC (mobile air-conditioning system) Directive has already banned refrigerants with a GWP of more than 150 for passenger cars, the F-Gas Regulation aims for a total phaseout of HFCs by 2050. That said, the ECHA is evaluating a ban on PFAS, and PFAS-based R-1234yf is under scrutiny. However, the latest draft (August 2025) suggests “essential use” derogations or a transition period of 5–12 years for the transport sector, where safer alternatives are not yet ready for series production. 

This leads automakers to consider using natural refrigerants, such as CO2-based R-744 and propane-based R-290, as they are immune to the effects of PFAS bans. 

R-744 has already been used by German automakers such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz in their respective EV models. While R-744 is non-flammable, it operates at around 10 times the pressure of R-1234yf, requiring a complete redesign of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in cars. This adds to the overall cost, which is hard to justify for a standard internal combustion engine model. It appears that the industry has largely reserved this refrigerant for high-end EVs where its superior heating performance justifies the high system hardware costs. 

propane-based R-290 is a natural hydrocarbon seen as the ultimate PFAS-free solution. With superior thermodynamic properties, R-290 can deliver efficient cooling and heating. Unlike R-744, which requires heavy, expensive, high-pressure components, R-290 operates at pressures similar to those of R-134a, allowing for lightweight system designs and lower manufacturing costs for associated components. Tier 1 component suppliers such as Mahle, ZF and Valeo are now actively demonstrating the R-290 prototypes. However, R-290 is highly flammable, and to address this, engineers use a secondary loop to prevent propane from entering the passenger cabin. 

In short, R-290 is positioned as a future-proof EV refrigerant, particularly for manufacturers looking for a middle ground between the high-pressure complexity of CO2 and the regulatory risks associated with synthetic HFOs.

According to S&P Global Mobility, the uptake of natural refrigerants (R-290 and R-744) in cars is expected to remain insignificant relative to the widely used R-1234yf, even in 2035, due to associated technical hurdles and high system costs. However, we expect natural refrigerants will begin to see marginal adoption toward 2035, hinting at increased research and development (R&D) activities in this direction. R-290 uptake will be mainly in BEVs, whereas R-744 uptake will be across BEVs and PHEVs. 

According to Matteo Martini, Associate Director, Thermal, S&P Global Mobility, “ECHA is expected to complete its scientific evaluation by the end of 2026, followed by the European Commission’s final decision on a complete ban on refrigerants with PFAS chemicals (R-1234yf). It is assumed that if the ban is approved, it will probably come with a 5 to 10-year transition period for automakers, as it is the most widely used refrigerant in cars globally.” 

He added, “If the ban is approved, automakers will be forced to increasingly look at alternatives, including blends (such as R-4101A and R-494B) and natural refrigerants (such as R-290 and R-744). This will drive increased R&D on the development and optimization of alternative refrigerants as well as the global supply chain.”

Martini says the current regulatory uncertainty is the reason companies like SK Enmove have developed blends that are PFAS-free and have a low GWP to offer future-proof refrigerants as alternatives to automakers who want to avoid the risk of a ban on R-1234yf.