Cool It: Hyundai Testing Innovative Window Film

Applying tint to window glass is hardly a new way to keep the cabin of one’s car cool in direct sunlight – but Hyundai claims there remains innovations to explore in the field of beating the summer heat.

According to the company, a new product it is calling Nano Cooling Film can block external heat energy whilst also emitting internal radiant heat to the outside. Through this, the material is said to significantly reduce a car’s interior temps without violating tint laws and maintaining high transparency to allow unobstructed vision. Cops will have to find a different excuse to pull people over for no reason.

Testing is underway in hottest Pakistan, with the product being applied to a total of 70 Hyundai vehicles on the road in that region. Today’s forecasted high in the area was 94F with 46 percent humidity, if you’re wondering. Daily temps in the summertime can reportedly crest 120 degrees Fahrenheit. A proper place in which to test this stuff, then. 

The science behind the functions of Nano Cooling Film is far beyond this author’s pay grade but it apparently maximizes heat dissipation by incorporating a nanostructure that has excellent heat transfer characteristics. The film’s outer layer is said to radiate heat at mid-infrared wavelengths from the interior of the vehicle to the exterior, while the inner two layers reflect incoming heat at near-infrared wavelengths, reducing the total amount of heat that reaches the inside of the vehicle. In other words, if it all works as advertised, the stuff not only prevents heat from entering the car but also assists with getting rid of the stuff. Clever.

Temps are said to have dropped by up to 12 degrees Celsius in some testing conditions but specific ambient temperatures aren't mentioned. As an example including Fahrenheit, a twelve degree plunge from 38C to 26C would be similar to 100F to 79F. That's a big deal.

Evidently, this product is far from a flight of fancy with Hyundai suggesting it is on the cusp of rolling it out to mass production in some markets. 

[Image: Hyundai]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by  subscribing to our newsletter.