Nissan's new 'cool paint' lowers car temperature by up to 10 degrees

The paint tech is said to be six times thicker than regular automotive paint.

Nissan, in partnership with Radi-Cool - a Chinese company, has developed a new exterior car paint, which claims to aid in cooling.

Development of the new 'Cool Paint' technology reportedly commenced in 2021, with over 100 samples developed and evaluated. In November 2023, a 12-month feasibility study was started at the Tokyo International Air Terminal, involving the application of the paint to All Nippon Airways (ANA) Nissan NV100 ground vehicles.

As per Nissan, the trial was a success, with the cars having a noticeable difference in exterior and interior temperatures. When parked side-by-side, under the sun, the car with the new cool paint tech had a 21.6-degree Fahrenheit reduction in exterior temperature. During the same test, the interior of the car was also cooler by 9 degrees Fahrenheit compared to cars with conventional paint.

The new 'cool paint' technology from Nissan is said to use metamaterials. Of these, the first particle reflects near-infrared rays, which on normal paint causes molecular level vibrations within the resin, resulting in heating. The second particle creates electromagnetic waves, which counteract the sun's rays and redirect them away from the car's surface.

Nissan's newly developed cool paint can be applied via a spray gun and even incorporate the required clear topcoat. However, the paint tech is said to be six times thicker than regular automotive paint. Nissan though, is confident in its future applications and that it could be available for special orders in a variety of colours.