From Catching Up to Taking the Lead: Longquan-Led National Standard for Automotive Air Conditioning Systems Promulgated
Chao News, Trainee Reporter: Han Jie; Correspondents: Wu Qiqi, Lian Junyan
Recently, the National Standard GB/T 45816-2025 "Safety Requirements for Refrigerant Systems in Automotive Air Conditioning Systems for Road Vehicles", formulated with the Longquan Industrial Innovation Research Institute of Zhejiang University as the lead drafting unit, was officially released and will be formally implemented on February 1, 2026.
This standard applies to air conditioning systems of passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles using HFC-134a, HFO1234yf and R744 refrigerants. It specifies specific safety performance specifications for refrigerant tightness, system design, etc., aiming to reduce potential risks to personnel, vehicles and the environment caused by system or refrigerant failures, and ensure a safety level equivalent to that of the previously mainstream R134a systems.
Automotive air conditioning systems for road vehicles. Source: Longquan Release
"Where standards are formulated, there lies the discourse power." Xiong Shusheng, Dean of the Longquan Industrial Innovation Research Institute of Zhejiang University, explained: "In the era of traditional automotive air conditioning, Longquan's enterprises were 'catching up'; in the era of new energy vehicle thermal management, they are 'keeping pace'; and in the current field of new refrigerants, Longquan is 'taking the lead' in the industry."
Behind leading the formulation of national-level standards is Longquan's transformation of mountainous industry from small workshops to industrial clusters by relying on the entity-based research institute. In the past, Longquan started with "small hardware" in the auto parts industry, with low product levels and great difficulties in enterprise innovation. In recent years, the Longquan Industrial Innovation Research Institute of Zhejiang University has collaborated with upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain to tackle key problems, "breaking through bottlenecks" to improve the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and industrialization level, and empowering the high-quality development of the new energy vehicle thermal management industry with scientific and technological innovation.
Longquan Industrial Innovation Research Institute. Source: Longquan Release
In the formulation of this standard, the Longquan Industrial Innovation Research Institute of Zhejiang University leveraged the advantages of the Longquan industrial base, and united R&D institutions of complete vehicle enterprises such as FAW Group, SAIC Motor and China Automotive Engineering Research Institute (CAERI), well-known parts enterprises such as SANHUA and MAHLE, as well as local backbone enterprises such as Kebole and Santian to participate in the standard formulation. The Longquan Municipal Market Supervision Administration played the role of the "one-stop" service platform for quality infrastructure of the auto parts industry, promoting the transformation of Longquan's automotive parts thermal management industry from "passive compliance" to "active leadership".
Today, Longquan has the largest block-shaped industrial cluster in the field of automotive parts thermal management in China, with more than 200 auto parts enterprises and a total industrial output value of over 10 billion yuan. It has led or participated in nearly 30 various auto parts standards. Relevant person in charge of the Longquan Municipal Bureau of Economy and Commerce stated that it will continue to promote enterprises to actively participate in the development of national and industrial standards, further deepen industry-university-research cooperation, and strive to build Longquan into a new energy thermal management R&D highland, a China thermal management intelligent manufacturing base, and an international distribution center for thermal management products.