Car manufacturers have been forced to change the refrigerant used in the air conditioning system from 2017 onwards. The EU has decided that the refrigerant used for the past 20 years is less environmentally friendly than a refrigerant with a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP).
HFO-1234yf (pronounced as twelve, thirty-four y f) is the refrigerant chosen to achieve this object and more usually now referred to as R1234yf even though it is an HFO. Originally planned to start in 2011 the start date was delayed for 2 years because the supplies of this refrigerant were so restricted. Supplies of this R1234yf are now available but it is extremely expensive. Although expected to reduce in price eventually it is forecast to always be much more expensive than the existing refrigerant R134a. There is no requirement to convert cars built to run on R134a to use this new refrigerant, they may legally be recharged with R134a for the foreseeable future.
Since the first of January 2017 every new car must use this new refrigerant or another with a lower GWP than 1300 and also all slightly larger vehicles that have been completely redesigned. Additionally if originally built to use R1234yf the system must only ever be recharged with that refrigerant, by law, with huge penalties. Generally these cars new in 2017 should not require an AC service until about 2020, unless they have an accident though. However do be careful if buying a secondhand vehicle built after about 2013
this is from a website
http://www.ac4cars.co.uk/r1234yf.html
having had my car regassed a few days ago it rather concerns me re the changes ? will they be reversed under brexit ?
