What do you get when you combine a zero emission vehicle with innovative paint technology that repels mud, rain and everyday dirt?
Answer: A very special Nissan LEAF electric vehicle that might just be the “world’s cleanest car.”
Created to demonstrate its potential use in future production vehicles, the exterior of a Nissan LEAF was treated with a specially engineered superhydrophobic and oleophobic paint that is designed to repel water and oils.
The “self-cleaning” paint, called Ultra-Ever Dry, creates a protective layer of air between the paint and environment, effectively stopping standing water and road spray from creating dirty marks on the vehicle’s surface.
Nissan is one of the first carmakers to apply this technology to a vehicle.
The coating, which is being marketed and sold by UltraTech International, has been undergoing testing by engineers at Nissan Technical Center Europe. So far, according to Nissan, it has responded well to common-use cases including rain, spray, frost, sleet and standing water.
While there are currently no plans for the technology to be applied to Nissan vehicles as standard equipment, Nissan will continue to consider the coating technology as a future aftermarket option.
“The 100 per cent electric LEAF provides the perfect canvas for this new, advanced 2 paint technology,” said Pierre Loing, vice president, Product Planning, Nissan North America, Inc. “This is one LEAF that never has to stop at gas stations—not even for a car wash.”