# Black cars and summer heat **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169 "2016-05-31T15:52:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/1 "2016-05-31T15:52:23Z")
Has anyone found a way to deal with this? My car is solid black. I can’t always park in the shade, and I would like to know what Dopers with black cars do to avoid the hot sun if at all possible. (I have a reflecting shade to put inside the windshield when I park.) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/2 "2016-05-31T16:48:34Z")
Tinted windows. Cloth interior. Park in a place or direction where the sun will not shine directly on the front seat(s). ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/3 "2016-05-31T16:55:14Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Has anyone found a way to deal with this? One scheme would be to avoid buying black - or indeed generally dark-colored - cars. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/4 "2016-05-31T16:56:22Z")
I don’t have a black car, but one thing I’ve found that helps a lot is to crack the windows (a couple of inches) on both the driver and passenger sides. Some folks online say this doesn’t help, but I’ve found that it makes a noticeable difference in my cars. They also make solar powered fans that you can stick in the window crack to help get more air flow through the car. I’ve never tried one personally so I don’t know how well they work. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/5 "2016-05-31T17:04:00Z")
Thanx 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![joe.russell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@joe.russell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joe.russell)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/6 "2016-05-31T17:27:38Z")
Does the color really play a significant role in this? I figure it wouldnt matter what color it was, and I maybe could argue that a dark color would reflect more? however insignificant that would be. I agree that cracking your windows/sunroof is the best idea. Ive got rain guards on one of my vehicles which helps. ---
**Author:** ![I.Dunno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I.Dunno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I.Dunno)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/7 "2016-05-31T17:29:40Z")
I don’t know if this really helps but I leave the AC/Heat control in ‘Vent’ in conjunction with cracking the windows. I like to think it helps move a little air through the vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![iceiso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@iceiso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iceiso)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/8 "2016-05-31T17:45:12Z")
Nothing ground breaking, but you could try: - Putting a reflective shield on the rear windshield as well, which is especially effective if it is very sloped. - Getting those suction-cup perforated shades for your side windows. - Cracking the sunroof. - Verify if your car has a remote window opening feature. I park close to my office window, so ~10 minutes before I leave the office, I remote open the windows and find this makes a huge difference. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/9 "2016-05-31T17:51:01Z")
> [@joe.russell](#): > > Does the color really play a significant role in this? I figure it wouldnt matter what color it was, and I maybe could argue that a dark color would reflect more? however insignificant that would be. > I agree that cracking your windows/sunroof is the best idea. Ive got rain guards on one of my vehicles which helps. Yes, I hike a lot in the desert, parking my car at trailheads, often with no shade. In intense sun, the car color makes a big difference in how quickly it heats up. When you say a dark color might “reflect more”, I think perhaps you mean _radiate_ more of the heat back away? But no, it does not. The sun’s thermal radiation (5800K black body spectrum) is predominantly visible light. So, what we perceive as a light color is a surface that reflects more of the sun’s direct radiation, a dark color absorbs more. Now, I think you are considering the fact that the car itself will also be radiating heat back out. But the car is at a much lower temperature that the sun, so the car’s thermal radiation is at a much longer wavelength in the infra-red part of the spectrum. Color (in the visible spectrum) is not correlated with infra-red (way different part of the spectrum) emissivity, so a black car will not radiate more heat away. Infra-red emissivity, from I can recall, is more correlated with something appearing shiny or metallic in the visible part of the spectrum, so it’s likely that different paint _finishes_ rather than color will affect how much a car radiates back out. I have no clue how big an effect that might be. ETA: the wiki article has a table for IR emissivity for some materials if you page down > **[Emissivity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emissivity)** > > The emissivity of the surface of a material is its effectiveness in emitting energy as thermal radiation. Thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiation that most commonly includes both visible radiation (light) and infrared radiation, which is not visible to human eyes. A portion of the thermal radiation from very hot objects (see photograph) is easily visible to the eye. > The emissivity of a surface depends on its chemical composition and geometrical structure. Quantitatively, it is the ratio ... ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/10 "2016-05-31T17:54:02Z")
> [@joe.russell](#): > > Does the color really play a significant role in this? I figure it wouldnt matter what color it was, and I maybe could argue that a dark color would reflect more? however insignificant that would be. Yes: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZS95SPm4f2I/maxresdefault.jpg "Do Black Cars Really Get Hotter?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS95SPm4f2I) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/11 "2016-05-31T17:57:12Z")
[quote=“DCnDC, post:10, topic:756169”] Yes: [/QUOTE] But why didn’t they compare two cars that were identical, except for color? And does a black car retain more heat in winter? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/12 "2016-05-31T18:02:03Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And does a black car retain more heat in winter? No - that’s based on the same answer that I gave just above (post #9) - the IR emissivity of a surface (hence the rate of radiative cooling) is not correlated with its color, because color and IR radiation are so far apart in the EM spectrum. The paint _finish_ may affect the rate of cooling. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/13 "2016-05-31T18:11:41Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > But why didn’t they compare two cars that were identical, except for color? I’m guessing it’s because the amount of planning and design that went into this experiment was “Dude, this FLIR camera is awesome, what can we do with it at lunchtime?” Also, that soundtrack should never have got past peer review. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/14 "2016-05-31T18:56:39Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > But why didn’t they compare two cars that were identical, except for color? Good point. Here’s a study that did a comparison between otherwise identical silver and black compact sedans: > **[Potential benefits of solar reflective car shells: Cooler cabins, fuel...](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306261911002972)** > > Vehicle thermal loads and air conditioning ancillary loads are strongly influenced by the absorption of solar energy. The adoption of solar reflective… The black car ended up having a cabin air temperature about 10°F higher: > [@](#): > > An experimental comparison of otherwise identical black and silver compact sedans indicated that increasing the solar reflectance (ρ) of the car’s shell by about 0.5 lowered the soak temperature of breath-level air by about 5–6 °C. ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/15 "2016-05-31T19:54:16Z")
If tinted windows are legal in your state, it will make a huge difference. If you let the shop know that reducing interior temps is your primary concern, they can recommend a good tint for UV protection (which doesn’t always correlate directly with darkess). I’ve had tinted windows on my car and my wife’s car for years and once in awhile I’ll get in someone else’s car without tint after it’s been sitting in the sun, and I’m just floored by how hot it is. Like “Is this an oven? Oh, they don’t have tinted windows. That’s why I feel like I am burning alive.” ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/16 "2016-05-31T20:01:44Z")
Use a car cover. Keeps things cooler and keeps dirt off. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/17 "2016-05-31T20:11:43Z")
The Mythbusters put thermometers in two cars parked in the sun and the black car was about 10 degrees hotter. The thing I’d be more interested in is the color of the interior. Black leather is the hottest versus a light tan or gray cloth for example, but is that more or less of a factor than the exterior paint color? Also about window tinting, does anyone know how much of a factor that is? I’m curious because while the tinting may block sun from heating up the objects that it hits inside (seats, dash, consoles, etc.), it also makes the glass itself hotter, acting sort of like a radiator. I’d rather get a low-e coating like they put on building windows since it’s designed specifically to reflect heat, and I’m not personally interested in tinting itself. Occasionally questions come up about putting photovoltaic solar panels on car roofs to keep the air conditioner running, or to recharge electric cars. Sadly they don’t produce nearly enough power for either of those things, but they would generate enough power to keep the climate control blower running. By constantly bringing fresh air in through the vents it would keep the temperature inside quite a bit cooler while also eliminating the risk of break-ins or summer showers that come with cracking the windows or sunroof. Plus most cars have pollen filters, and I’ve found that leaving the windows cracked makes my car’s interior filthy with dust in no time. Not to mention that unless there’s a strong wind blowing sideways across the car, cracking the windows won’t do much since there’s no chimney effect. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/18 "2016-05-31T20:21:25Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Tinted windows. > > Cloth interior. > > Park in a place or direction where the sun will not shine directly on the front seat(s). One trick that I learned was that you don’t need to park in the shade…you need to park where the shade will be when you’ll be using the car again. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/19 "2016-05-31T20:30:42Z")
You see, this is why the terrorists hate us… 😃 Leave your windows cracked open a bit, open the driver’s door, wait a couple seconds for the initial rush of hot air to escape, sit in the driver’s set, leave the door open, start your car, immediately lower all four windows (and open the sunroof), and turn the A/C on full blast. Problem solved in about 60 seconds. Yes, I own a car with a black (dark grey) exterior and black leather interior. Leather BTW cools off much faster than cloth (it also heats up faster in the winter, hence the preference for it…) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169/20 "2016-05-31T21:10:30Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > You see, this is why the terrorists hate us… 😃 > > Leave your windows cracked open a bit, open the driver’s door, wait a couple seconds for the initial rush of hot air to escape, sit in the driver’s set, leave the door open, start your car, immediately lower all four windows (and open the sunroof), and turn the A/C on full blast. Problem solved in about 60 seconds. > > Yes, I own a car with a black (dark grey) exterior and black leather interior. Leather BTW cools off much faster than cloth (it also heats up faster in the winter, hence the preference for it…) This reminds me, if you have a Honda, many of the newer ones have a trick where if you hold down the unlock button on the key fob all the windows will go down. Really, really annoying, I wish there was a way to turn it off since holding down the lock button doesn’t roll them all back up. If you do it by accident you have to close each one, including the sun roof, if you have one. This seemed like a good place to mention it, since it’s designed to let the hot air out of your car as your walking towards it from across a parking lot. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cars-and-summer-heat/756169.md?page=2)