Whether it’s the summer or rainy season, when the sun is out here in the Philippines, it’s sweltering. Over the years, car companies have been finding ways to keep the cabin cool when a vehicle is parked outdoors.
These days, we have features like remote start that turns on the engine and air-con. We also have heat resistant seats in models such as Mitsubishi Montero Sport and Xpander Cross.
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But the folks from Nissan have a totally different approach to that. From the makes of some of the best air-conditioners in the world, the Japanese automaker has developed paint that can help keep in-car temperatures low under the hot sun.
Nissan is working with a firm called Radi-Cool, a company known for its cooling products. The two are currently testing this paint, but preliminary testing has shown cooler cabin temperatures by as much as 12 degrees. That’s a huge deal given that car interiors can go well past 50 degrees on a hot day.
So, how did they do it? It’s called radiative paint, and it’s not an entirely new concept. It’s been applied to buildings for quite some time already, but it’s the first to be used on cars.
But why can’t the same paint be sprayed on cars, then? For starters, radiative paint for buildings is thick and cannot be applied with a spray gun. It also doesn’t shine like automotive paints, either.
Back to Nissan and Radi-Cool’s solution, the paint’s formula has been changed to address those issues. It also uses electromagnetic particles that deflect heat away from the car. It also prevents heat transfer to other parts of the car.
When can we expect this paint on Nissan models? It’s hard to tell at the moment, but development is still ongoing. At the moment, it is undergoing real world testing at the Haneda airport with Nissan fleet vehicles used on the tarmac.
