Every summer day, it's the same story. You leave your car in the sun, even if only for half an hour, and when you get back in, the temperature inside is suffocating. A familiar situation with a direct impact on our health, but also on energy consumption, with the air conditioner pushed to the limit to cool down as quickly as possible in an environment that can easily reach 50-60°C.
All this may soon be a thing of the past, as Nissan is carrying out a series of experiments on a paint capable of cooling the car.
First results
In November 2023, Nissan began a 12-month test at Tokyo's Haneda International Airport. In cooperation with Japan Airport Terminal Co, Ltd, Radi-Cool Japan and All Nippon Airways (ANA) Airport Service, the paint was applied to a Nissan NV100 vehicle used by ANA.
Nissan cooling paint
Initial results are promising, with the NV100 parked in the sun recording body temperatures 12°C lower and interior temperatures 5°C lower than those of the vehicle with conventional paint.
As mentioned above, a cooler interior in summer not only increases comfort, but also reduces the use of air conditioning, which in turn reduces fuel consumption in combustion engine vehicles and preserves the battery charge, and therefore the range, of electric cars.
How does it work?
Developed in collaboration with Radi-Cool, a company specialising in radiant cooling technologies, this paint contains synthetic metamaterials with properties unknown in nature.
Nissan paint's cooling properties are due to two microscopic particles that react to light. One of them reflects the sun's near infrared rays, which are responsible for heating up conventional paints, while the other generates electromagnetic waves that dissipate heat. The combined action of these particles reduces the temperature of the vehicle's external surfaces, such as the roof, bonnet, doors and panels.
The project is led by Dr Susumu Miura, a senior manager and expert at the Nissan Research Centre's Advanced Materials and Processing Laboratory.
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Although radiant cooling paint is not new, it is commonly used in buildings and is characterised by high density, requires roller application and can leave residues. The main challenge for Nissan is to create a lightweight paint that can be applied with a spray gun and meets the company's quality standards.
Since launching the project in 2021, Miura and his team have tested more than 100 samples and are working to achieve a paint thickness of 120 microns, six times greater than traditional paints, that resists salt, chipping, peeling, scratching and chemical reactions, while retaining colour intensity and repairability.
The Miura team continues to develop thinner solutions that offer the same cooling performance and a wide range of colour options. All that remains now is to wait for the first mass-produced applications.
Gallery: Nissan's cooling paintwork
