Nissan is currently testing out a prototype that it says could make car washes a relic of the past. The test car benefits from a new nano-paint treatment that repels dirt and grime. The automaker is putting the car through the dirty wringer to see how well it holds up in the real world.
Not only can car washes be time-consuming and/or expensive, they are a short-term solution. How many times do you roll that dripping, glistening car out of the car wash parking lot only to hit a muddy puddle or rainstorm within the first day or two?
Nissan says it is the first automaker to apply a super-hydrophobic, oleophobic industrial treatment called Ultra-Ever Dry to a vehicle body. The treatment is designed to repel all water-based and some oil-based liquids using a protective top layer of air. When a car runs through a muddy puddle, the treatment will purportedly prevent that mud and road grit from sticking to the body, keeping it car wash-fresh.
Nissan uses Ultra-Ever Dry for “first self-cleaning car” [Gizmag]