Nissan Motor Co. said it has developed a new type of paint that significantly reduces the temperature inside vehicles parked in direct sunlight.

The surface of a car coated with the innovative material remains up to 12 degrees cooler than that of a vehicle with standard paint, tests showed.

The company said the coating material can help rein in the temperature rise not only on the car’s body but also in the vehicle when exposed to direct sunlight.

    • 14th_cylon@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      This is because the substance artificially reproduces a process known as radiative cooling on the painted surface. A typical example of radiative cooling is a phenomenon where the ground releases heat to cool off.

      Nissan worked with the Chinese enterprise Radi-Cool as it specializes in the creation of radiative cooling technologies and materials.

      (…)

      However, one obstacle remains: the paint is six times thicker than the usual coating on the car body surface. The substance is also more expensive, which would add to the total cost of a new vehicle.

      That, in turn, makes it difficult for the coating material to be utilized for mass-produced passenger automobiles.

      For this reason, Nissan is looking to commercialize the paint on ambulances and other specialized vehicles as the first step.

      • boonhet@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        However, one obstacle remains: the paint is six times thicker than the usual coating on the car body surface. The substance is also more expensive, which would add to the total cost of a new vehicle.

        That, in turn, makes it difficult for the coating material to be utilized for mass-produced passenger automobiles.

        With 6 times thicker paint there’s a chance it also wouldn’t rust like a proper Nissan and we can’t have that, now can we

          • boonhet@lemm.ee
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            4 months ago

            At the… Ugh idk. They all have super thin paint nowadays. Especially the more expensive brands.

      • ace_garp@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        …the paint is six times thicker than the usual coating on the car body surface… looking to commercialize the paint on ambulances and other specialized vehicles as the first step.

        This is the best part of the article.

        After driving ambulance during Australian summers, in the Great Victorian Desert, this would assist so much with operating temperatures. A literal life-saver, if the AC ever broke, also.

  • daddy32@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Nissan also detects you having sex in the car and phones the info home.

  • remer@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    And that’s 12 degrees Celsius (21.6 degrees Fahrenheit)! What kind of garbage article doesn’t include the units!?

  • LucidNightmare@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    I just love how humans will do anything other than actually focus on fixing the problem. Love it.

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        4 months ago

        I mean, if you’re a middle age bro with a retail supervisor job compensating to show off to teen girls, I guess.

        • Psythik@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          I see, thanks for pointing out that I’m a stereotype. FML

          TBF, the 350Z was the sports car to have when I was a teenager. Not my fault that I can only afford one just now in my mid-30s, haha. I blame Ronald Regan for screwing over working-class citizens. If I had the money my parents had, I’d be driving an EV by now.

          (edit: and FWIW I’m in a happy relationship with an adult woman similar to my age)

      • Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        There’s a very long list of two door sports cars I’d buy instead of one of those bloated excuses.

        • Psythik@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          I’d like to see that list, cause I’m I’m considering selling the car in a year or two. Requirements: 2 doors, convertable, 300+ BHP, manual transmission, stability control (cause I’m a bad driver lol), under $15K.

            • Psythik@lemmy.world
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              4 months ago

              Already considered all of those before buying the Z. None of them meet my horsepower requirements. And the last time I checked, they don’t make a convertible WRX and BRZ/FRS/86.

  • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    I seriously doubt that, tests have been performed comparing black and white painted cars, and the difference was insignificant. The heat buildup in a car is due to the the sunlight entering through the windows.

    • BallShapedMan@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      To add to your comment, ceramic window tint is a night and day difference. My steering wheel, shifter, and all couldn’t be touched after work. I wore driving gloves to get home. With the tint there slightly warm and the AC doesn’t take half the drive to catch up, the car is cool by the first stop light.

      Maybe they should sell cars with that by default instead?

        • model_tar_gz@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Yes. It contains ceramic nano particles that reflect UV without interfering with visibility.

          edit: I meant IR. But it reflects both.

    • nyctre@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Could you link one of these? All the ones that I can find say there’s quite a bit of a difference

      • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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        OK I’ll link the danish test, this test is done with 2 cars that are identical, except for the color of the paint:

        https://livsstil.tv2.dk/2018-05-24-bliver-en-sort-bil-varmere-i-solen-end-en-hvid-tv-2-har-lavet-testen

        Konklusionen er altså, at den sorte bil ikke varmes mærkbart mere op end den hvide.

        Translation:
        The conclusion is that the black car does not heat up noticeably more in the sun than the white.

        So it does a little bit that you can measure, but not enough to really make a difference.

        Det skyldes ifølge Christian Bahl, seniorforsker hos DTU Energi, at bilerne opvarmes gennem ruderne.

        According to Christian Bahl senior researcher at DTU energy, that is because the cars are heated through the windows.
        (DTU is a well recognized institution for scientific research in Denmark.)

        • nyctre@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Maybe the fact that the experiment was done when outside were only 20-22 degrees made the difference less noticeable? Otherwise I can’t explain why all the other tests I’ve found said the difference was 5-10+ degrees.

      • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Sorry can’t find it, all I can find in english are some where the data isn’t clear.
        If a white car has brighter interior it will stay slightly cooler, I cannot find a test where everything is the same except the color of the car.
        What I can say however, is that the test I saw was performed in Denmark. It’s possible countries with hotter climates may observe some difference?

        Obviously the main source of heat is what enters through the windows, and how much is reflected out again does have an influence.,

        If a white car has white seats and interior, they will obviously not heat as much as black seats and interior.

        The white color on the exterior will also reflect more light into the car, except maybe at noon.

        Edit PS:
        I linked the danish test in a new response.

  • Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    Twelve degrees what? A degree Celsius is more than twice a degree in Fahrenheit.

    State your units, FFS.

    • Syd@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      No, only Nissans. It says right there.

    • Alexstarfire@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Probably yes, but it may not actually be doable. Not just because of how much there is to paint, but because the energy doesn’t just evaporate. It’s got to go somewhere. In this case I’m assuming it’s reflected, even if diffused. If everything does this, things that don’t (people, cars, pets, etc) will get all that extra energy.

      Wouldn’t want to end up in a situation like this: https://www.businessinsider.com/death-ray-skyscraper-is-wreaking-havoc-on-london-for-a-few-totally-insane-reasons-2015-7

      • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        The amount of folks who have melted their shitty low quality thermoplastic patio furniture with their sliding glass windows will always amuse me, but overall I don’t consider IR radiation to be a big problem. Using a bunch of VOCs to paint everything and pollute a city would be though.

      • XeroxCool@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Ultimately, they can be, but there’s lots of differences between them once they reach the bucket you buy. They have different adhesion qualities, but that could be addressed with an appropriate primer. They have different final finish surface requirements, which could be an issue for how the paint works. I remember seeing dragonfly-wing-style paint that was white when viewed perfectly straight buy blue when viewed at any off angle due to a microscopic vertical grid of blue walls. There may also be a required clearcoat component that may not be compatible between the two surfaces. Metal paint is also designed to handle the flex of metal where as concrete paint would barely be concerned about that but possible address crumbling instead.

        Edit: and after reading the article, it’s a radiative-cooling paint rather than a reflecting coating. Concrete has a much lower thermal conductivity so this may not be effective in transferring heat out of the concrete.

      • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        Metal paint is concrete paint. Microsoft paint is abstract paint. This comment is metaphorical paint.

  • marx2k@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    As someone living in Wisconsin with salty road winters, I’ll say that Nissan’s reputation is mostly trash here based specifically on their paint

  • MerchantsOfMisery@lemmy.ml
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    4 months ago

    Windshield screens are the low-tech but far more effective method of keeping a car’s interior cooler, typically by at least 20F when it’s really hot out. Slightly inconvenient but unlike this paint, a windshield screen will actually make a difference.

    • nyctre@lemmy.world
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      Mythbusters did an experiment with a black car and a white car hitting in the sun. The black car was 12 degrees Celsius hotter. Claiming that the paint makes no difference is such a weird take. I thought this was common knowledge as well as many people I’ve met avoid darker colours in summer and such.

      • IndiBrony@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Summer was hard on me in my teenage goth years.

        Can’t really get many light shades of black.

      • MerchantsOfMisery@lemmy.ml
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        4 months ago

        What’s the cost (financial and environmental) of repainting a car vs using a windshield visor that’s at least twice as effective at reducing heat? Painting a car with this stuff would cost thousands of dollars compare to $20 for a visor.

        • nyctre@lemmy.world
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          I’m not talking about repainting anything, why are you moving the goalposts? Just buy a white car AND use a visor, what’s wrong with that? And in the future, if this stuff is actually good, maybe all cars can come already painted with it?

          • MerchantsOfMisery@lemmy.ml
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            4 months ago

            Just buy a white car AND use a visor, what’s wrong with that?

            Nothing’s wrong with that-- why would I assume you’re talking about regular paint when this whole article is specifically about a single type of new paint developed to keep cars cool in heat?

    • kingthrillgore@lemmy.ml
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      4 months ago

      Wanna know how you’re right? Look at the FLIR photo above and note where the heat is at its highest