Nissan Developing "Cool Paint" To Keep Drivers Cooler

Nissan has revealed what it called a “cool paint” designed to keep people inside cars cooler, although the coating is six times thicker than standard paint, making commercialization still a challenge, Yuri Kageyama reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The cool paint lowered the cars’ roof-panel temperature by 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit) and the interiors by 5 C (41 F). I Photo: Nissan USA

The company’s announcement was timely, as Japan was enduring record sweltering temperatures.

Nissan Motor Co. tested the paint on vehicles scuttling around Tokyo’s Haneda airport, where there are plenty of unshaded areas, making it a good place to assess the technology.

The vehicles with the special paint looked like ordinary cars but felt much cooler to the touch.

The cool paint lowered the cars’ roof-panel temperature by 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit) and the interiors by 5 C (41 F), Nissan said. Cooling materials are already widely used in buildings and other items.

Cooler cars can reduce the use of air-conditioning and relieve the toll from heat on engines and electric vehicle batteries. Toyota Motor Corp. has also been experimenting with paint that delivers lower cabin temperatures, mostly focusing on colors that refract the sun’s rays.