A trip to the car wash and getting out the old bucket and sponge could soon be a thing of the past thanks to Nissan’s new self-cleaning car concept.
The first model to use the paint will be the Note, which recently went on sale last October. With the model already featuring a ‘wash and blow dry’ function located on the rear view camera that dispersers air and water to keep the lens clear, the dirt-repelling paint will only make the car more stress-free and family friendly to drive.
Scientists have developed what they call Ultra-Ever Dry®, a super-hydrophobic and oleophobic paint that has the ability to repel water and oils. The ‘nano-paint’ technology is currently being trialled by engineers here in the UK, tasked with putting its ability to repel everyday dirt to the test at the European Technical Centre located at Cranfield in Bedfordshire.
As the first carmaker to apply this innovative technology, the world is eagerly awaiting to find out just how well it will be able to withstand the temperamental British weather and country roads. A spokesman for the car manufacturing giant described the way the dirt-repelling coating works as “a protective layer of air between the paint and environment”. This will enable it to effortlessly and effectively stop standing water and road spray from creating dirty marks on the surface of the car caused by elements.
Whilst there are no plans in place as yet for the technology to be rolled out as a standard feature, it is certainly something to be considered for future models. The price for the paint has not yet been confirmed however it is predicted to be around the £450 mark. Taking into account that regularly putting your car through a professional car wash can be a costly and time-consuming chore, there’s no doubt that this concept is sure to be a popular one!
Click here to watch the self-cleaning car paint in action.
