Nissan developing heat-resistant car paint

MANILA: Nissan Motor Corporation, in partnership with radiative cooling expert Radi-Cool Japan, has developed and is currently testing a heat-resistant car paint that can help keep a vehicle’s interior cool.

Last year, the Japanese marque started a 12-month-long trial at the Tokyo International Air Terminal in Haneda. The said paint was applied to several Nissan NV100 kei cars, which are utilized by the All Nippon Airways company as service vehicles.

Through the trials, the car brand found that heat-resistant paint was able to reduce exterior car temperature by up to 12 degrees Celsius. The aforementioned also resulted in an interior 5 degrees Celsius cooler as compared to cars with regular paint. 

To achieve notable results with the heat-resistant paint, Nissan and Radi-Cool had to develop a special blend of synthetic composite materials known as “metamaterial,” which bears properties uncommon in nature. 

The senior manager at the Advanced Materials and Processing Laboratory of Nissan Research Center, Dr. Susumu Miura, shared that heat-resistant paint is not a totally new product, but current commercially available versions are typically used for buildings. 

As such, the brand’s research department had to re-formulate the said paint to make it compatible with a vehicle’s top coating. It was also reinforced to be resistant to salt, chipping, peeling, scratches, and chemical reactions per the brand’s rigorous standards for paint quality. 

The paint was likewise given two micro-structure particles, which can react to light. The first one is able to reflect near-infrared rays in sunlight. The second creates electromagnetic waves, which can redirect heat energy away from the vehicle. 

Currently, the revolutionary paint formulation is being tested and developed further. Miura, however, is hopeful about seeing the special paint offered for special vehicle orders. Particularly, the Nissan senior manager has professed its potential use in commercial vehicles such as vans, trucks, and even ambulances. 

To note, the heat-resistant paint project is a part of Nissan’s efforts for sustainability. According to the carmaker, the paint product can reduce engine load and fuel usage. It also has the potential to extend the range of an electric vehicle.

“My dream is to create cooler cars without consuming energy. This is especially important in the EV era, where the load from running air-conditioning in summer can have a sizable impact on the state of charge,” Miura said. 

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