Nissan is trialling a cutting-edge automotive paint technology, aimed at making car interiors more comfortable in warm weather.
Developed in collaboration with a company called Radi-Cool, Nissan’s new paint incorporates metamaterial synthetic composites – and has a two-stage method of reducing temperatures.
Initial tests have shown the special white paint can potentially reduce exterior bodywork temperature by 12 degrees Celsius. This translates into lowering the cabin temperature by five degrees Celsius.
The benefits are a more comfortable driving experience, along with less energy needed to cool the car’s interior.
The coolest Nissan around
Nissan’s advanced metamaterial, incorporated into the paint, has two types of particles that react when exposed to sunlight.
The first set of particles reflect near-infrared rays in the light, which would normally cause the paint’s resin layer to heat up.
Even more impressive are the second set of particles. These create electromagnetic waves, which are able to counteract the sun’s rays by directing their energy away from the car.
In November 2023, Tokyo International Air Terminal took on several Nissan NV100 vans painted with the new finish. The airport’s open tarmac exposes vehicles to relentless sunlight, making for an effective real-world test of the cooling paint technology.
The future looks bright
Dr Susumu Miura, senior manager at the Nissan Research Centre, has been responsible for developing the new cooling paint. Although heat-reflecting paint has been used in building construction for decades, adapting it for automotive use has proved more challenging.
More than 100 different samples have been tested so far, with Dr. Miura and his team refining the paint to make it easier to apply.
“My dream is to create cooler cars without consuming energy,” explained Miura. “This is especially important in the EV era, where the load from running air conditioning in summer can have a sizeable impact on the state of charge.”