YOKOHAMA: Nissan has been trialing an innovative automotive paint aimed at helping lower a vehicle's ambient cabin temperature in summer and reduce the energy usage of the air-conditioning system.
Developed in partnership with Radi-Cool, a specialist in radiative cooling products, the paint incorporates metamaterial, synthetic composite materials with structures that exhibit properties not usually found in nature.
In November 2023, Nissan began a 12-month feasibility trial at Tokyo International Air Terminal at Haneda to test its new cooling paint. This trial, conducted in collaboration with Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd., Radi-Cool Japan, and All Nippon Airways (ANA), involves applying Nissan’s cool paint to an NV100 service vehicle used by ANA.
The paint is being evaluated for its effectiveness in reducing exterior and interior temperatures under the high-temperature conditions of the airport’s open tarmac.
Preliminary results show that the paint reduces exterior surface temperatures by up to 12-degree Celsius and interior temperatures by up to 5-degree Celsius compared to traditional automotive paint.
The cool paint features a metamaterial with two microstructure particles: one reflects near-infrared rays, while the other generates electromagnetic waves to redirect sunlight away from the vehicle.
This technology aims to improve vehicle efficiency by reducing the need for air-conditioning and consequently lessening the load on both internal combustion engines and electric vehicle batteries.
Nissan’s Advanced Materials and Processing Laboratory senior manager Dr Susumu Miura is leading the development.
Miura, known for his work on noise-reducing materials, aims to create a cooler vehicle without additional energy consumption.
The paint, which must include a clear topcoat and be applicable by spray gun, has been tested extensively. It is currently around 120 microns thick, six times thicker than typical automotive paint, and has shown resistance to salt, chipping, and other damage.
Nissan's researchers continue to refine the paint, exploring options to make it thinner while maintaining performance.
The company expects potential applications for commercial vehicles and hopes to offer the paint in various colours for special orders in the future.
