What the heck is HFO-1234yf? That's the name of a new refrigerant that's reportedly 350-times less damaging to the atmosphere than the current HFC-134a (or 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane, if you prefer).

That said, the UCS suggested HFO-1234yf (or R-1234yf) as a less environmentally harmful alternative air-conditioning fluid. As early as 2012, we reported that automakers would start trying to ...