Thursday 26th March 2009

Black Isn’t The New green

California considering ban on black paint

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No fun in the sun for our Evo

Jet-black automotive paintjobs could be regulated out of existence in the US if proposals under consideration by the California Air Resources Board are followed through.

Apparently the CARB is getting hot under the collar about the extra carbon being consumed by California residents turning-up the air-con to cool their sun-drenched black cars. The Board has already set new rules in place that will force manufacturers to increase the solar reflectiveness of future paint coatings, as well as improve the thermal efficiency of automotive glazing. It believes more stringent rules in this area could save nearly a million tons of CO2 per year by 2020.

However, according to Autoblog in the US, paint companies are struggling to make a decent black finish that meets the forthcoming requirements for 20% solar reflectivity by 2016 – the best attempts so far being a sort of sludgy brown.

Autoblog has noted the possibility that this story is an elaborate – if early - April Fool, but CARB has produced a 36-page treatise on the subject. As we know, where California leads in the field of ‘cleaning-up’ the automotive sector, others tend to follow. Interested parties can read all about the CARB ‘cool cars’ program here.

[pits]

....Only in California

[Ikemi]

Mmmm! Sludgy Brown! I hope they give it a more appealing name

I can't see how this will have a dramatic effect on anything, except reducing black cars on the road.

[AndyM31]

What next engine limiters and black boxes. Terrible!

[motormania]

Is that not being racist towards black cars

[tinman0]

Can't imagine why you would have a black car in California anyway? Unless you like third degree burns during the summer.

[VladD]

tinman0 said:

Can't imagine why you would have a black car in California anyway? Unless you like third degree burns during the summer.

It would stop people sitting on it while it was parked.

[OJ]

No actually I agree with this, it can make a significant difference to CO2...



See? It's almost as eco-friendly as a Prius now

[lionrampant]

It's disturbing that these people are allowed to dress themselves, let alone make policy with potentially global influence.

[Ikemi]

OJ said:

No actually I agree with this, it can make a significant difference to CO2...



See? It's almost as eco-friendly as a Prius now

He better change his black shirt, otherwise he'll get hot and need to use aircon in his yellow Hummer!

[jmatras]

Worse, people are actually paid to come up with this . No wonder that California is facing such a massive deficit.

[Lord Pikey]

I want to go and buy a Black Prius now.

Sit back and watch thier fuzzy little heads explode!

LP

Edited by Lord Pikey on Thursday 26th March 13:49

[XitUp]

Stop moaning, someone will come up with a way for this to work and it will be a good thing.

[zebedee]

My folks used to have a Volvo 240 'Black Thor' edition. It was black, very black, with black seats, black dash and black door inserts. In the sun it was like an oven. It had a white roof, but that probably only served to reflect heat trying to escape back into the car! It didn't have air con though, just a sun-roof, but hey, it worked!

[Trixman]

Does that mean that white cars will get a reduction in road taxes?

[tinman0]

VladD said:

tinman0 said:

Can't imagine why you would have a black car in California anyway? Unless you like third degree burns during the summer.

It would stop people sitting on it while it was parked.

gonna stop anyone going within 10 feet of it!

[LCR270]

Trixman said:

Does that mean that white cars will get a reduction in road taxes?

no it means the government will soon be on the band wagon and adding a new environmental tax for cars based on colour. so white ones will only be £100/year and black ones will be £500/year.

[neh321]

What? Has our Government taken over California now? Do they need more loony regulation there?

[trevor_law]

For heaven's sake think about this guys! Stop moaning at the would-be legislators for a minute.

Black is the perfect light absorbing colour - that's why it looks black - no light is reflected from it. White is the highest reflectivity colour because it reflects all visible light components away from itself and we do not see any colour tint (not even a sludgy-brown sort of white). More light absorbed means more heat to neutralise with aircon.

To me it makes perfect sense to stop the deliberate creation of cars that need aircon running flat out throughout daylight hours for much of the year. In the UK most summers it makes little difference what colour car you run. Rain is uncaring on the matter... but in the summer of 2006 (the hot one) I regretted enormously running a black car with black leather interior, whose aircon was to say the least somewhat knackered!

When I've worked or holidayed in California that option has never occurred to me. Palm Springs in summer means a white car in my humble opinion. Thank God it is easy to hire one as they are so popular. I would run a mile from a black one even for a week's hire...

So, for once I support the efforts of officialdom...

Edited by trevor_law on Thursday 26th March 14:26

[evenflow]

Surely the increase in popularity in white cars recently more than outweighs need for such essential research and policy making?

[Johnpidge]

The US of A - what else do you expect!