Nissan Makes Self Cleaning Prototype Car

Lazy car owners around the world have rejoiced at the news that Nissan has heard their pleas. The Japanese automaker announced recently that it has achieved the enviable by creating a prototype car that cleans itself. A future car that cleans up the owner’s life is still under development.

The car’s paint is actually designed to repel dirt, thanks to a clever nano paint technology that wicks away oil and water. The paint was developed in conjunction with UltraTech International Inc. and is currently being tested on a Nissan Note in Europe. So far, tests have been positive for conditions like sleet, rain, standing water, and fog, keeping the car clean and relatively dry. The testing process will include driving the car through a variety of dirty locations in the coming months, starting first with Paris, France.

As of right now, the paint technology has not been announced as coming to consumers. Nissan has said that it is considering making it an aftermarket option for its cars, so future Nissan customers can have it applied to any Nissan model they purchase. How expensive the option would be, what colors it would be available in, and if it would eliminate incidents of people writing “wash me” on dirty vehicles are all still yet to be determined.

Nissan has been pushing the technological envelope quite a bit lately, so it’s not exactly a surprise that it has come out with such a unique paint technology. In the meantime, though, car owners are still going to have to perform the laborious task of washing their vehicle, or paying someone else to do it.