Choosing a car color is generally a matter of taste, but for some car buyers, it can be all about resale & perhaps climate too. It is generally accepted that black cars are hotter in the sun and white cars keep cooler in the summer, but is it really true? Courtesy autotrader.com, the video below puts that theory to the test.
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Two nearly identical vehicles were taken for this test, one white and one black, and were exposed to the hot summer sun. When measured the interior temperature after a few hours, it was discovered that the black car’s cabin measured a scorching 54.4 degree Celsius, while the white car’s interior registered only 45 degree Celsius.
video courtesy: autotrader.com
Now once you turn on the air conditioning, which one cools faster? Once again, it was discovered that the interior of the white car cooled to 28.8 degree Celsius after 10 minutes, while the black car was still at 32 degrees Celsius.
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Based on this test, it’s safe to say that the color of your car can indeed have an impact on your comfort in the summer heat, with black cars heating up quicker and cooling down slower than white ones. It should also be noted that the interior color also plays an important role in affecting the cabin temperature of the vehicle. Black or darker shades of interior amplify the heat inside the cabin than lighter color coded interiors.
Lighter colors are always a safe bet for majority of the car buyers around the world. Besides White, Silver is quite a popular color when it comes to choose an automobile. Robert S. Daily, color-marketing manager of DuPont Automotive, a major automotive paint supplier, believes it’s the affinity for technology that lures people to silver color. He writes, “Silver and gray reflect our fascination with technology, such as seen in the brushed chrome cues on laptop computer covers and other electronic devices. Secondly, silver and techno-gray seem to accentuate the angular, ‘new-edge design’ of the latest luxury sport vehicles.” Others believe that silver relates to “feelings of superiority” and “great mental powers.”
Whatever be the reason, silver continues to lead every car segment in popularity. According to a study Silver is the most widely preferred automobile color, followed by White as second, and Black as the third choice globally. All these findings are based on an annual color popularity study conducted by DuPont Automotive.
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Lighter colors are easy to maintain and holds a good resale value too. Less popular colors may depreciate your vehicle’s value to a great extent. And that is surely one of the reasons why every passing day white, silver and black are increasingly becoming popular in our country. Though
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
