How to protect your car from heat and sun damage this summer
Is the heat too much for you? Your car feels the same way. Here’s how you can protect your car and avoid damage.
When it comes to keeping a vehicle cool during the sweltering Arizona summer, color choice can actually make a difference. White and light-colored cars tend to be a bit cooler than darker ones.
This is due to the science of light absorption, also known as albedo. This principle states that lighter colors reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than darker colors, which absorb more light and consequently more heat. Therefore, white or light-colored cars may be slightly cooler inside when exposed to intense sunlight than their darker counterparts.
Here’s the scientific explanation why white cars are actually cooler than dark cars.
Do white cars really stay cooler?
Yes. White cars tend to stay cooler than dark cars because white paint reflects more sunlight and absorbs less heat.
“Albedo is a measure of surface reflectance, so it’s a fancy way of saying how much sunlight is absorbed by this surface, by this material, and it’s based on that color,” said Erinanne Saffell, Arizona State climatologist.
“Lighter materials, like your white car, reflect sunlight more. Sunlight hits the white car and is reflected slightly more than if it hits a dark car.”
What are the disadvantages of a white car?
Saffell said the reflective nature of white paint can cause glare, which can be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous for both the driver and other road users.
Which car color gets the least hot?
In addition to white, other light colors also reduce heat absorption. Here are some light-reflecting paint colors:
- Silver.
- Light grey.
- Beige and light brown.
- Pastel colors like light blue, light green and light yellow.
Do windshield sunshades keep the car cooler?
Yes. Windshield sunshades reduce heat and protect the interior of your car.
“UV rays actually heat up the car, so when you use a sunshade, you block the UV rays and the vehicle stays cooler,” says Montgomery Miller, market manager at Sun Auto Tire and Service in Phoenix.
Tinting your windows can help reduce the temperature inside your car by up to 30%, Miller said.
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