Maybe you’re moving to a hotter climate or a place that gets more sun. Perhaps you’re just tired of getting into a scorching hot car. People often talk about how the exterior color of your car can determine how hot the interior gets. But is it really true? Does a car’s color affect the interior temperature?
The answer is yes, it does. Studies show that cars with dark paint, like black or dark blue, get hotter than cars with white or silver paint. This is because light colors reflect more sunlight than dark colors. However, there are several other factors that contribute to a car’s internal temperature, like upholstery color and material, and the car’s amount of time in the sun.
Thankfully, there are several things you can do to keep your car cool, no matter what color it is. In this article we’re going to discuss how color differences can affect the interior temperature of your car and what you can do to help keep it cooler.
Do Black Cars Get Hotter?
According to one study, the average difference in temperature between a dark and a light-colored car came to about 10° F after an hour. The study was done with both cars in full sunlight.
So, black cars have been found to get about ten degrees hotter. But the fact is, if you live in a place where temperatures regularly reach 95° F or hotter, it’s going to be hard to keep your car cool. No matter what color it is. At a certain point, ten degrees is not going to be much of a difference: hot is hot.
According to a study done by researchers at Arizona State University, the interior of a silver-colored car reached 116° F after an hour. The outside temperature was 100° F. While a black car in the same sun may have reached 126° F, the fact remains that getting into a hot car is uncomfortable no matter what.
Ambient temperature is one thing, but the upholstery and steering wheel should also be taken into account. Both tend to get incredibly hot in direct sunlight, especially if you have a dark leather interior.
Does Black Leather Interior Get Hotter?
Car interior color and material also contributes to how hot it gets in direct sunlight. Particularly if you don’t have a sunshade or tinted windows. Once again, dark interiors tend to absorb more heat than light or cream-colored interiors. But leather, no matter what the color, can get scorching hot.
A black leather interior in will absolutely get hotter than a cloth material of any color. Leather interiors can get so hot that it can be painful to even sit down after the car has been sitting in the sun.
Even light-colored leather seats can get hot enough to cause mild burns after sitting in direct sunlight.
Best Car Colors For Hot Climates
There are several steps you can take to keep your dark car cool, which we discuss below. You don’t have to run out and sell your car if you don’t want to. But, maybe you’re looking to get a new car, or simply don’t like the one you have. If that’s the case then it’s good to know the best car colors for hot climates.
The best rule of thumb is to ask yourself: what colors reflect heat best? White, cream, silver, and tan paint will reflect the most sunlight and keep your car a little cooler. While black, maroon, dark blue, and dark purple tend to absorb more sunlight and heat. The same goes for the inside of the car.
If you have a choice between cloth and leather, cloth upholstery is the best material for hot climates. Even a dark-colored cloth should stay cooler than any color leather.
How Your Car’s Color Can Save You Money
The same study that found a ten-degree average temperature difference also suggests that owning a light-colored car can save you money— and help the environment.
It takes gas to run your car’s air conditioner. It follows that the hotter your car gets, the more you’ll need to run your air conditioner. So, the hotter your car, the more gas you’ll burn by running your air conditioner.
The study found that silver or white cars would have a 2 percent increase in fuel efficiency over black cars. This contributed to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions of about 2 percent, as well. It’s not much, but it’s something to consider when purchasing a new car, particularly if you live in a hot climate.
How To Keep Your Car Cool
Of course, if you like your black car with the leather interior, you don’t need to trade it in if you don’t want to. Here are a few things you can do to keep your car cool— no matter what color it is.
Park in the Shade
This one’s pretty obvious. If you have the option, it’s always best to park in full or partial shade on hot and sunny days. Even a little bit of shade can keep your car several degrees cooler than otherwise.
Buy a Sunshade
A must-have for anyone living in particularly sunny or hot climates, a sunshade in the windshield helps to minimize the greenhouse effect that gets cars so hot. These are affordable and don’t take up too much room. Plus, they’re available in many different styles.
This collapsible sunshade on Amazon is a great choice and comes in lots of different sizes to fit all makes and models. The better your sunshade fits your windshield the better it will work. That’s why its important to buy one specifically for your vehicle. Doing so will ensure a tight fit and will block out more sunlight than one that’s made to be universal.
Tint Your Windows
Tinted windows block heat and prevent the greenhouse effect. Although not as effective when not used in combination with a sunshade, this option can help to keep your vehicle several degrees cooler on hot and sunny days.
Cover Your Steering Wheel and Seats
While a sunshade will work best for this, you do also have the option of covering your steering wheel and seats with towels or other materials. This will help the sun from shining directly on them. When you return to the car and remove the towels, the seats and steering wheel shouldn’t be too hot to touch.
Another option for keeping your steering wheel cool is to buy a reflective steering wheel cover like this one on Amazon. This is a great, inexpensive way to make sure your steering wheel is cool enough to use when you hop into your car.
In Conclusion
All other things being equal, cars with dark paint get an average of 10 degrees hotter than cars with light paint. There are other factors to take into account, though. Cloth interiors stay cooler than leather. A black car with black leather upholstery will get incredibly hot when left in the sun.
Time in the sun also is a factor. A car left for an hour in the sun will be cooler than a car left for five hours. But, at a certain point, hot is just hot.
But you don’t have to run out and sell your black car. You can use a windshield sunshade. You can also tint your windows and park in the shade. But, if you’re in the market for a new car, you may want to take into account how lighter colored cars can save you some sweat and money while reducing your carbon footprint.