Nissan is testing a paint that could keep our cars cool

Here's something every motorist here in Singapore can look forward to. Nissan has revealed that it is now trialling a new automotive paint that can help lower a vehicle's ambient cabin temperature.

Developed in partnership with Radi-Cool, a specialist in radiative cooling products, the paint is said to incorporate metamaterial that allows it to not only reflect near-infrared rays, but also create electromagnetic waves that counteract the sun's rays, redirecting the energy away from the vehicle into the atmosphere.

The special paint is said to have yielded a 12-degree Celsius reduction in exterior surface temperatures and up to five degree Celsius cooler an interior compared to a vehicle featuring traditional automotive paint

The paint has already been tested on a fleet of NV100 service vehicles operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) airport services, which sit on the large, open tarmac of Haneda airport and thus were the perfect option to conduct a real-world evaluation of the paint's performance under an exposed high-temperature environment.

And there's good news: Nissan states that when parked side-by-side under the sun, the vehicle treated in Nissan's cool paint yielded a 12-degree Celsius reduction in exterior surface temperatures and up to five degree Celsius cooler an interior compared to a vehicle featuring traditional automotive paint. Nissan also adds that its testing team has also confirmed the paint's resistance to salt and chipping, peeling, scratches, and chemical reactions, while being able to deliver on colour consistency and repairability.