Mercedes Sales Heading for a cliff?

[Mr. Mercedes]

More European Union nations may join France in banning the sale of certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles containing a prohibited refrigerant after the 28 member governments agreed to take action against the defiant German car maker.
Reuters reports the European Commission confirmed on Tuesday that some
Representatives from each of the EU member states – including Germany – met in Brussels yesterday to discuss the issue and agreed that no vehicles should be exempt from the regulations.
“Member states acknowledged that, regarding the vehicles which do not conform with EU law, corrective measures shall be taken to bring the vehicles into conformity including the withdrawal of those vehicles already sold on the market, as it has already been done by a member state,” the European Commission said in a statement.
R134a is known to contribute to global warming and is 1000 times more damaging to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Every other European car maker has made the switch to its replacement, HFO-1234yf. Daimler believes HFO-1234yf poses an increased fire risk, however, and at this stage the German government has not enforced the EU ban on the car maker.
The German government has been given until August 20 to either reverse its decision or explain its reason for failing to enforce the ban.

More EU nations may ban sale of Mercedes-Benz vehicles

More European Union nations may join France in banning the sale of certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles containing a prohibited refrigerant after the 28 member governments agreed to take action against the defiant German car maker.

www.caradvice.com.au

Mercedes obviously has reasons for sticking to the 'old' refrigerant. The French are probably hoping to sell a few more Renaults and Peugeots as a result. lol
But on a serious note, this could pose a MAJOR issue for Mercedes who's profitability per vehicle this year has plummeted to 3.3%.

 

[mini_cooper4]

It was time!

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Why?

 

[mini_cooper4]

Why?

Isn't it obvious? Here in EU we have regulations. I don't know about the rest of the world.
No exceptions should be made! If you can't co-op with the regulations then just go home

PS: Obviously there's an issue with the new refrigerant causing fire in MB cars only and that's why they don't want to risk so much. I understand that but they shouldn't be allowed to sell those cars until they find a way to fix that.

 

[Zafiro]

You would think MB knew about this before they started to sell.

 

[Merc1]

Isn't it obvious? Here in EU we have regulations. I don't know about the rest of the world.
No exceptions should be made! If you can't co-op with the regulations then just go home

PS: Obviously there's an issue with the new refrigerant causing fire in MB cars only and that's why they don't want to risk so much. I understand that but they shouldn't be allowed to sell those cars until they find a way to fix that.

It isn't MB cars only. MB is the only one who tested it enough to find out that it was dangerous. VW has also found the same thing.

M

 

[Kowalski]

The EU should be abolished.

 

[Kowalski]

In case of fire R1234yf releases hydrofluoric acid, which is a really nasty shit.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

With stuff like this Mercedes ALWAYS has a good reason.

 

[Hofmeister]

The brief alphanumerics R134a and R1234yf are codes for a growing battle between carmakers, states and the EU. The air-conditioning refrigerant R134a has been banned by the EU for being too damaging to the environment, with R1234yf mandated as its replacement. Daimler and Volkswagen say that in their own studies, though, R1234yf can be more dangerous in an accident, potentially starting fires and releasing poisonous hydrogen fluoride gas.

Daimler received dispensation from the German motoring authority KBA to continue using R124a and has refused to put the new refrigerant in its cars, and took that national approval as a European-wide mandate. That has led to France refusing to register all Mercedes-Benz A-, B- and SL-Class vehicles in France that were manufactured after June 12 and filled with the now-banned refrigerant.

In a small victory for Daimler, Reuters reports that a French court decision has lifted the ban on registrations pending a 10-day reexamination of the order. It gives France's environment ministry a period to decide whether to keep the ban in place and return to court to fight for it; it does not, however, require the French authorities to begin registering Mercedes cars. While Mercedes waits to resume sales in France, which could begin again in ten days if France doesn't fight, the EU is threatening Germany with consequences if it refuses to adhere to the federal mandate.

From Autoblog
Original Reuters article

I wonder why the ban is/was only applied to the A, B and SL, is R134a used only in these models?

 

[Kowalski]

The EU is ignoring the engineers' claims of the safety hazard that the R1234yf poses, because they are a bunch of corrupt bastards who have been swayed by the intense lobbying done by Honeywell and Dupont.

 

[Wolfgang]

Mercedes-Benz to Sue France Over Car Sales Ban
Auto Maker Contends Banned Coolant is Safe to Use

German auto maker Daimler on Friday said it would take the French government to court over its decision to ban the sale of some new Mercedes-Benz models that use an outlawed refrigerant in their air conditioning systems.

The European Union banned the coolant identified as R134a in new cars at the start of the year because it has been found to contribute to global warming. But a French court on Thursday suspended the ban in France, saying the French government hadn't followed the correct EU "safeguard" procedures before decreeing the freeze on Mercedes-Benz sales.

The French ecology and transport ministries issued a statement on Friday saying the procedure would be implemented immediately. As a result, sales of Mercedes-Benz A-, B- and CLA class cars will remain forbidden in France until Daimler conforms to EU rules, the ministries said.

Daimler said it would take legal action to overturn the decision. The luxury car maker has said the replacement coolant is highly flammable and could be the primary cause of a vehicle fire in an accident. The sales ban doesn't apply to older vehicles that use R134a.

"This argument isn't logical to us and can't be applied in the present case. In Europe, nearly all existing and new vehicles are equipped with the tried-and-tested safe cooling fluid R134a, and will remain so until the end of 2016. We will now initiate the required legal steps," a Daimler spokesman said.

The ban has prevented Mercedes-Benz from delivering several thousand cars to customers that have ordered them. Last year, the company sold 22,000 of the affected models in France, and the new A Class has been a hit with buyers so far this year.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323610704578630001505477288.html

 

[Amat46]

You cant mess the dailmer dwag

 

[Gullwing]

R12 was/is an awesome refrigerant. R12 was found to be harmful and was replaced by 134a which was NOT harmful to the environment. Yet now 134a is harmful? I don't buy it, at least not as bad as they claim.

Mercedes was one of/was the first manufacture to switch everything over to 134a from R12. So if they say something isn't right with 1234 I tend to believe them.

R12 when burned produces Mustard gas
R134a when burned produces nothing that I know of
asfjdlla1234 when burned produces hydrofluoric acid

Which one would you prefer?
I like my R12 powered a/c!

 

[JLBM]

1234 is also a far less effective coolant, from what I hear.

 

[klier]

The EU should be abolished.

Isn't this a bit too political