Euro Car Parts has launched a new air conditioning programme for the independent aftermarket. It aims to provide a complete package, including the supply of equipment, marketing materials, training and technical back-up.

Gary Phillips, Euro Car Parts’ air-con technical manager, says: “In our experience, once a workshop has the ability to service and repair air-con systems its customer base and demand will grow.’

Currently around 30% of the UK car parc – 9m vehicles – has air-con, of which around 3.5m are estimated to be out of warranty now.

Phillips estimates the market value of air-con servicing and repairs to be £30m, rising to £45-£50m over the next five years or so, by when it is estimated that as many as 95% of all UK road vehicles will have air-con systems fitted.

The national average price for having a system recharged is about £75 in the independent sector, yet the cost of materials is less than £5. More than 2m systems will require servicing or re-gassing by aftermarket providers and bodyshops this year.