During scorching summer months, especially in southern countries, parked vehicles can reach dangerously high temperatures. Every driver knows the discomfort of stepping into a car that feels like an oven. But Nissan now claims to have a solution — a revolutionary cooling paint that reduces heat buildup inside and outside the car.
How Nissan’s Cooling Paint Technology Works
The new paint technology developed by Nissan engineers is based on the principle of radiative cooling. The coating incorporates metamaterials that effectively reflect solar radiation and reduce the heating of the vehicle’s exterior.
Specifically, the paint contains two types of microscopic particles: one reflects infrared radiation, which is responsible for heating, and the other generates electromagnetic waves that redirect thermal energy back into the atmosphere.
"Our cooling paint reflects solar energy and radiates excess heat away from the vehicle, significantly lowering temperatures even under direct sunlight,"
Impact on Vehicle Temperature
When tested on Nissan NV100 vans operated by All Nippon Airways at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, the results were promising. The vehicle’s exterior surface temperature dropped by 12°C, while the interior cooled by 5°C, reducing the demand on air conditioning systems.
This improvement could lead to lower fuel or battery consumption in hot climates, offering both comfort and efficiency to drivers.
Testing Phase and Technical Challenges
The paint is still undergoing trials, and although the results are encouraging, there are technical hurdles. Currently, the coating has a thickness of 120 microns — about six times thicker than conventional automotive paint. Engineers aim to refine the formula to reduce the thickness while maintaining effectiveness.
Broader Applications and Future Potential
While similar cooling paints have long been used on rooftops to reflect sunlight and reduce indoor cooling needs, their application in the automotive industry is relatively new and opens exciting possibilities.
Standard roof coatings can reflect up to 98% of solar energy, dramatically reducing heat absorption. If such innovations become standard for cars, hot summer days could become far more bearable for drivers and passengers alike.
