Why the colour of your car might be heating up your city

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🗞️ Driving the news: A new study from the University of Lisbon reveals that the colour of parked cars can significantly influence urban temperatures
• Black cars were found to raise nearby air temperatures by up to 3.8°C on hot days compared to lighter-coloured vehicles
• The findings highlight how vehicle paint choices may be an overlooked factor in exacerbating the urban heat island effect

🔭 The context: The urban heat island effect arises when cities, filled with heat-absorbing surfaces like asphalt and buildings, become significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas
• Vehicles — particularly their materials and colours — contribute additional heat. With around 70% of Europeans living in cities and heatwaves becoming more frequent, identifying all potential drivers of urban heat has become a public health and policy priority

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This research underscores a low-cost, scalable solution to mitigate urban heat: increasing the reflectivity of cities
• By encouraging lighter-coloured vehicles and other reflective urban surfaces, cities can passively reduce temperature extremes without major infrastructure changes
• However, implementation would require policy incentives, industry engagement, and public awareness to be effective

⏭️ What's next: European cities are increasingly exploring passive cooling strategies, such as reflective materials and urban greening, to adapt to intensifying heatwaves
• The study's authors suggest that repainting dark cars in lighter tones could notably enhance street-level reflectivity
• Cities may consider incorporating vehicle colour into heat mitigation guidelines, especially in urban planning and climate adaptation plans targeting heat-prone areas

💬 One quote: “Now picture thousands of cars parked across a city, each one acting like a little heat source or a heat shield. Their colour can actually shift how hot the streets feel,” — Márcia Matias, University of Lisbon

📈 One stat: White cars reflect between 75–85% of sunlight, while black cars reflect only 5–10%, intensifying their heat impact on surrounding air

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