Car color influences cabin temperature, study shows

A laboratory study simulated a sunny summer day of 25 °C to measure how vehicle colour affects surface and interior heat. On a black‑painted car the surface temperature rose to 70 °C within 20 minutes, while a white‑painted car reached only 55 °C under the same conditions. Inside the cabin, the temperature difference between dark and light cars never exceeded 5 °C, indicating a marginal effect on interior heat.

The study ranked colours by surface temperature: white (43 °C), green (45 °C), gray (47 °C), blue (48 °C), yellow (50 °C), red (51 °C) and black (62 °C). Interior temperatures after 30 minutes ranged from 35 °C to 45 °C and after 60 minutes from 45 °C to 50 °C, varying with colour, window tint, orientation, wind and cabin ventilation. High cabin heat can create hazards for children, pets, the elderly, electronic devices and flammable materials.