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.

  • remer@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

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

    • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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      What kind of garbage article doesn’t include the units!?

      What for? Almost no country uses Fahrenheit.

      • Telorand@reddthat.com
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        If that’s how scientists did science, we’d have mountains of confusion. “Eh, most people will get it. Good enough.”

        Information like this is global. It’s a single “C” for clarity. That’s not an unreasonable ask.

        • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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          This is a news article, not a study, which would’ve more likely used Kelvin, which would be still 12 degrees. It’s for everyday people, which almost all of which use Celsius to measure temperature. People outside of the few countries who use Fahrenheit don’t get confused about it because it’s literally the only measurement they use in their life. If you travel outside the US you will find that no one adds Fahrenheit conversations anywhere and that pretty much all temperatures are listed in Celsius.

          • Telorand@reddthat.com
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            You’re arguing that it’s not worth the effort to be clear over a single letter, from a place of what appears to be some American-oriented xenophobia. Not a good look.

            But to your point about travel, that isn’t analogous. This isn’t an American tourist going to another country, where the temperature context is Celsius. This is an article disseminated globally; by its very nature, the context should be agnostic of locale, and so it would behoove the authors to be clear (again, with a single letter) so that there is no confusion.

            • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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              Calling out US entitlement isn’t xenophobia. That self applied victim complex is just proving my point.

              This is an article disseminated globally

              Anything on the internet is inherently accessible globally, unless there’s a geo-block in place. That does not mean that the things on the internet have to inherently be tailored to US standards or with US viewers in mind. The clearly not US sounding website “The Asahi Shimbun” even specifically has the subtitle “Asia & Japan Watch”, which should make it more than obvious that this is not a US focused media. The only confusion coming up here is when you have to assume US units being used everywhere else, which simply is not the case.

              • Telorand@reddthat.com
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                Again, you’re quibbling about the letter C for the sake of clarity and calling that US entitlement. You’re welcome to die on that hill, but it seems like a silly one to die upon because you have some beef with Americans.

                • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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                  3 months ago

                  Again, you’re quibbling about the letter C for the sake of clarity

                  No, that’s what you are doing. lol I’m telling you that the letter is irrelevant for the majority of people in the world because we all already assuming the correct units of temperature and you seem to take an issue with that fact.

              • AA5B@lemmy.world
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                3 months ago

                I’ve definitely seen some non-US news sources convert to US common units based on my locale. I’d much prefer they just clearly state what they’re using, especially like here where it’s just a matter of adding one character - similar to time where it’s adding three characters for the time zone.

                It’s not even necessarily a US centric view asking for it - taking the high road here: anyone in the US interested in science is used to seeing both common and metric units. it’s really no big deal to switch back and forth. Just be aware there are multiple possibilities and indicate which you’re using.

          • Telorand@reddthat.com
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            Maybe it’s a mental reading thing. I always “hear” the word “degrees” in my head when I see °, so I like the extra effort to include that, but I also know that colloquially, people are a lot lazier.

    • MHLoppy@fedia.io
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      Or 53.6 degrees Fahrenheit if you believe whoever wrote the page for Nissan lmao. I guess they just typed it into a converter with no context, and the converter spat out an answer amounting to “if your thermometer says it’s 12 degrees C, that would be 53.6 degrees F”… but without that context.

      • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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        There probably wasn’t even anyone who actually wrote it. Fed it into some LLM to generate the page and no one actually edited it to make sure everything made sense

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          Fair point, but I guess I would hope that the person being paid to write the copy would check it, since getting that right seems like it’s part of their job description ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
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          That’s why it’s a better choice to just clearly identify the units and not attempt to be clever about converting for a particular audience

    • Zip2@feddit.uk
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      You’re right. Everything should be in degrees kelvin by default. Problem solved.

    • ZealousSealion@discuss.tchncs.de
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      Why would it be anything else?

      It’s clearly too low a number to be °K. And since the only two valid units of measurement for temperature are Kelvin and Celsius, it must be °C.

      • remer@lemmy.world
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        A differential temperature of 12C is equal to a differential temperature of 12K…… You don’t take the offset into account for differential temperatures.

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    3 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.

      • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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        Also this is problematic:

        12 degrees cooler

        But by what scale? If it’s Flaffenfeit, it’s just half an ounce!!!

    • BallShapedMan@lemmy.world
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      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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          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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      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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          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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        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.

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

          A lot of things seem obvious but turn out not to be, or not as much as I’ve first thought. Hence the usefulness of data and studies rather than mere reasoning.

    • Venator@lemmy.nz
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      They should install automated blinds like some high end luxury cars have except make them out of that silvery windscreen sunshade stuff.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      Nasa have developed a paint for spacecraft that can be any color including black and still have the properties of white paint. It’s only colored in the visible part of the spectrum but allows IR to pass right through.

      Although you do need to paint the vehicle white initially as an undercoat.

  • LucidNightmare@lemm.ee
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    I just love how humans will do anything other than actually focus on fixing the problem. Love it.

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

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          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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        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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          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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              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.

      • frezik@midwest.social
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        I had a 370Z. Basically the same chassis with a bigger engine.

        Feels like sitting in a bathtub. It’s got a heavy ass flywheel that makes the V6 feel as smooth as a V8, but with predictable effects on responsiveness. You can cut the fly weight in half and it’s still perfectly good to run on the street without issues.

        I traded it in for an Miata NC and never looked back. Sure, the Z has more power, but it doesn’t make good use of it the way a Miata does.

        • Psythik@lemmy.world
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          Funny you mention that; I had the opportunity to buy an ND Miata for $5K more. Went with the 350Z instead. Now your comment is making me second guess myself, even though I love how the 350 handles.

          It glides through corners so damn well, I can’t possibly imagine it getting any better than this, but you “Miata is always the answer” people always come of the woodwork and make me second guess my decision. The low horsepower figures always got to me. But now I’m thinking that maybe I should have just taken the damn test drive before falling in love with the Z.

  • Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee
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    Twelve degrees what? A degree Celsius is more than twice a degree in Fahrenheit.

    State your units, FFS.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      The scientific consensus is that unless otherwise stated it’s Celsius.

      In scientific papers you just write 14° you don’t need to specify the unit.

      So I’m just going to use that rule and assume Celsius.

    • herrvogel@lemmy.world
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      They found a very interesting way of selling their hybrid cars as full on EVs where I live. Their e-power stuff are small ICEs working as generators for electric motors that then drive the wheels. Apparently the fact that the wheels get all their power from an electric motor makes it definitely not a hybrid no sir, despite the fact the cars have tiny ass batteries and the single source of power for the whole system is the ICE. Also they somehow have worse fuel efficiency than many contemporary ICEs that cost quite a bit less. I don’t understand Nissan.

      • T156@lemmy.world
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        A few car companies seem to be doing that. Toyota(?) here are advertising their hybrid vehicles as “self-charging electric vehicles” instead of a hybrid, even though there’s no way to plug them in and not have them self charge.

      • Fedizen@lemmy.world
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        great video. Its wild that it is functioning as an IR emitter and just beaming things into space.

    • Alexstarfire@lemmy.world
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      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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        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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        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.

  • marx2k@lemmy.world
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    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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    3 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.

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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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        Summer was hard on me in my teenage goth years.

        Can’t really get many light shades of black.

      • Telorand@reddthat.com
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        3 months ago

        Speaking of huge and inconvenient, if you’re a cheapskate, just get a car cover. Always helped my motorcycle.

      • MerchantsOfMisery@lemmy.ml
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        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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            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?

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      I don’t care about your cage’s interior temperature. Until we can ban cars from cities I’d welcome such paint, because all those shit heaps of cages standing on public space still end up heating up the places around them, further inconveniencing everyone else even more.

      • Jojo, Lady of the West
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        Do they? I mean yes, because the ICE engines just constantly dump a ton of heat out, but does a parked car? Is there data on that?

        • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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          Yes, just like “rock / gravel gardens” or whatever you call them in English, which are now banned in a lot of places for one reason being that exact same phenomenon of contributing to the urban heat island effect. They soak up the heat from the sun like a battery and then slowly release it into their environment, keeping it warm. It’s super obvious as a pedestrian.

      • MerchantsOfMisery@lemmy.ml
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        You realize the emissions saved from reduced AC usage would also reduce the heat island effect, right? Sun visors like this are good for public spaces.

        Also, it’s more environmentally friendly to have people use visors than repaint their whole car.

          • MerchantsOfMisery@lemmy.ml
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            That’s okay, you seem pretty simpleminded so I don’t exactly expect you to understand the issue. I understand the anti-car sentiment but you’ve clearly gone off the deep end yet you still seem to think it matters to other people whether you care about issues like this.

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              That’s okay, you seem pretty simpleminded so I don’t exactly expect you to understand the issue.

              Projecting much? Love the insults btw. Really drives your point forward.

              I understand the anti-car sentiment but you’ve clearly gone off the deep end yet you still seem to think it matters to other people whether you care about issues like this.

              You seem to care a lot. It’s also again projection and highly ironic since you were the one who apparently thought people care about your car’s interior temperature.

              • MerchantsOfMisery@lemmy.ml
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                You seem to care a lot.

                I think you’re confusing my care for the issue as me caring for you. It’s too bad you can’t even be bothered to make some of your comment relevant to the discussion.

                • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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                  My reply to your comment was more relevant than your comment about windshield screens. Whatever. I have better things to do than talk to people who do constant mental gymnastics to win stupid internet arguments. Have a nice day.

    • kingthrillgore@lemmy.ml
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      Wanna know how you’re right? Look at the FLIR photo above and note where the heat is at its highest