Nissan’s cooling paint technology that cools up to 21.6°F: A solution for hot cars in direct sunlight | – Times of India

Nissan has unveiled a new automotive paint designed to significantly reduce the temperature of vehicles parked in direct sunlight. Testing has demonstrated that cars coated with this innovative paint remain up to 21.6°F (12°C) cooler than those with standard paint when parked side by side under the sun.
We’ve all experienced the intense heat that builds up inside a car left in the sun on a hot day.This heat not only makes entering the car uncomfortable but can also strain your health and put extra pressure on the air conditioning system to cool it down.

Innovative cooling paint technology

To address this issue, Nissan Research Center has developed a passive cooling paint that incorporates metamaterials to more effectively reflect solar radiation. The paint features two types of particles: one that reflects near-infrared wavelengths to reduce heat absorption, and another that generates electromagnetic waves to direct excess energy away from the vehicle and into space.
Since November, Nissan has been testing this paint on an NV100 service vehicle at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo. The treated vehicle has shown a temperature reduction of up to 21.6°F (12°C) on its external surfaces and up to 9°F (5°C) inside the cabin, compared to a vehicle with standard paint parked next to it.

Nissan innovates in sunlight-reflecting coatings for vehicles

While sunlight-reflecting coatings have been used for some time on building rooftops, applying them to vehicles poses unique challenges. Traditional cooling coatings are much thicker than automotive paint, averaging around 400 microns compared to the 20 microns of standard vehicle paint layers. Additionally, these coatings lack a topcoat, which can affect durability and leave a chalky residue.
Nissan’s researchers have successfully reduced the thickness of their cooling coating to 120 microns, making it thinner than other cooling paints but still thicker than typical automotive paint. Ongoing efforts aim to develop even thinner versions that maintain the same cooling effectiveness. The current formulation has shown good resistance to chipping, peeling, scratching, and chemical damage, while also maintaining colour consistency and repairability.

Nissan vehicle cooling with versatile, colourful topcoats

The ultimate objective is to refine this technology so that it not only cools vehicles effectively but can also be applied with a clear topcoat, using a spray gun, and offered in a range of colours beyond white.
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