Can Car Colour Affect Fuel Consumption In Cars?

A study by the American Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory has revealed a new factor that affects vehicle fuel consumption. According to the conclusions of the Cool Cars project, supported by the California Energy Commission, the colour of the car’s body contributes to reducing or increasing fuel consumption. The conclusion of the investigation is that colours that reflect sunlight reduce the increase in temperature in the car.

Namely, the light-coloured bodywork, which reflects the sun’s rays, will contribute to maintaining a lower temperature in the cabin due to this reflection. On the contrary, dark-toned bodies, which tend to absorb the sun’s rays, will contribute to an increase in the temperature of the vehicle. The hotter it is in the car, the more passengers will use the air conditioning and it will be necessary to use more energy, increasing fuel consumption.

These conclusions do not come out of nowhere. That same laboratory conducted tests with two identical passenger cars and sedans. One was silver and the other black. Both cars were left parked in the sun in cycles of one hour with the A/C off and half an hour later with the A/C on (at maximum). After five cycles, the researchers measured the temperature of the roof, dashboard, windshield, seats, doors, and cabin air. The roof of the silver car was up to 25 degrees cooler than the roof of the black car. The air temperature in the cabin showed differences between five and six degrees. In total, 13% less energy was used to cool the silver car than the black car.

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