- MOTORING NEWS – NISSAN NOTE
LET’S be honest, no one really enjoys washing their car.
Well they may soon never have to, thanks to a breakthrough by Nissan and the car that stays spotlessly clean – whatever the weather.
Mud, sleet, road grease and rain are all repelled in the same way due to innovative paint technology being tested by the Japanese manufacturer.
The specially engineered super-hydrophobic and oleophobic paint, which resists water and oils, has been applied to the new Nissan Note to create the world’s first self-cleaning car.
Engineers at Nissan Technical Centre Europe will be testing the self-cleaning Note over the coming months in a variety of conditions.
Nissan is the first carmaker to apply the technology, called Ultra-Ever Dry, on a car’s bodywork.
It works by creating a protective layer of air between the paint and environment, effectively stopping standing water and road spray from creating dirty marks on the car’s surface.
And it’s not the first time ‘self-cleaning’ technology has been used on the Note as the model already features a ‘wash and blow dry’ function on its rear view camera.
This uses water and compressed air to automatically keep the lens free of dirt and ensure the Notes’ safety sensors work in all conditions.
So far, the coating, which is being marketed and sold by UltraTech International Inc, has responded well to the likes of rain, spray, frost, sleet and standing water.
While there are currently no plans for the technology to be applied to the model as standard, Nissan will continue to consider the coating technology as a future aftermarket option.
Geraldine Ingham, chief marketing manager for the Note, said: “The Nissan Note has been carefully engineered to take the stress out of customer driving and Nissan’s engineers are constantly thinking of new ways to make families’ lives easier.
“We are committed to addressing everyday problems our customers face and will always consider testing exciting, cutting edge technology like this incredible coating application.”
