SCIENTISTS have revealed the world's whitest paint can now be applied to cars.
The paint was originally shown to the public in 2021, but was too thick and heavy for automotive use.
Originally the paint had to be applied 400 microns thick, which was fine for buildings and structures but no good for motors.
Now, scientists at Purdue University in the US have managed to achieve nearly the same results with a 150-micron thickness.
The white shade now reflects 97.9% of light and is said to cool the surface it's on by up to 4.5°C.
The thinner paint weighs some 80% less than the original formula, which is important for fuel efficiency.
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The scientists want to start selling it for use on cars and aeroplanes, which will mean air-conditioning systems will work less hard in hot weather.
Air-conditioning systems use the engine's power to operate and therefore affect fuel economy.
The harder it has to work to cool a car's interior, the more fuel is used, so this paint could mean £100s in fuel savings for some drivers.
The only catch is you'll need to keep it clean for it to work best.
Xiulin Ruan, professor of mechanical engineering and developer of the paint said: “I’ve been contacted by everyone from spacecraft manufacturers to architects to companies that make clothes and shoes."
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“They mostly had two questions: Where can I buy it, and can you make it thinner?
“Now this paint has the potential to cool the exteriors of airplanes, cars or trains.
"An aeroplane sitting on the tarmac on a hot summer day won’t have to run its air conditioning as hard to cool the inside, saving large amounts of energy.”
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