Revolutionary Car Paint by Nissan and Radi-Cool: A Game Changer for Heat Management

Together with the Chinese company Radi-Cool, which focuses on radiation cooling, Nissan has developed a special type of paint for cars, which is able to visibly cool the exterior and interior of the car. . For this, it uses a special color structure and electromagnetic waves.

Radiant cooling, also known as radiant cooling, is not new. For example, it has been used as passive cooling in buildings for a long time. However, according to the car manufacturer, the colors used on buildings do not have the properties required in the car industry.

In particular, they must be applied in high layers, they do not have the necessary durability and are usually applied with a roller, which is not the best way to apply paint on a car.

The new paint, developed by the car manufacturer, can be applied with a spray gun and will retain its properties even under colorless paint. However, the amount of paint is still a problem – compared to classic varnish, the layer is six times deeper.

The color itself contains a so-called metamaterial, which was artificially created and does not occur in nature. It consists of two microstructural particles that respond to light. One particle reflects near-infrared radiation in the sun’s rays, which leads to heat in normal colors.

The second particle should then be very novel, as it creates electromagnetic waves that work against the sun’s rays and redirect the energy back into the atmosphere. Together, the two particles prevent the heating of the entire car and the transfer of heat to parts and the interior of the car.

The automaker has been testing the color since November 2023 at Tokyo Airport, where it was applied to all Nissan cars used by All Nippon Airways. The measure is already producing impressive results in this testing phase.

The temperature difference between two cars parked for the same time in the same place, one with a special paint and the other with a standard one, was 12°C on the outside surface and 5°C in the cabin As a result of using a new type of paint, the use of air conditioning could be reduced, which places higher demands on the combustion engine and on electricity consumption.

In practice, the new color could therefore reduce consumption in combustion cars and limit their emissions, and in electric cars it could contribute to a longer range. In addition, it would ensure greater comfort for all drivers. However, there is still the question of when it will come into general use.