With Automotive “Self-Healing” Nanotechnology – News – AUTOWELT

Nanotechnology is about creating new structures, materials, and devices by controlling shape and size at the nanoscale. “Technological innovation cannot happen without physical innovation that can determine the success of future mobility,” said Lee Jong-soo, President of Hyundai Motor Institute for Advanced Technology Development (IATP).

Among the most amazing technologies is a feature that coats cars with large particles that return to their previous shape. The so-called “self-repair coating” is said to help the car get rid of scratches or cracks on the exterior or the cameras themselves. Hyundai said the complete removal of scratches and cracks would take just two hours, far less than competing automakers that have developed similar technology. Nissan uses a similar technology that paints the car itself, and it takes about a week, while BMW’s latest technology takes a day.

The company’s development department expects the nanotechnology to be ready for use in the next two to three years. Solar cells that can be attached to car windows are also being developed. Solar cells are made of silicon and are usually installed on roofs. Hyundai is using perovskite, a type of nanomaterial, to develop a cell that can be built into transparent windows.

Perovskites are said to be 30 percent more efficient at converting light into electricity than silicon. Hyundai is also developing tandem solar cells, where perovskites are stacked on top of silicon solar cells to increase efficiency by 35 percent.

The latest technology also includes a cooling film that prevents the car’s interior from overheating even in extreme outside temperatures: the film helps keep the interior temperature seven degrees Celsius lower than using a conventional color film. According to Hyundai, the film can reduce air conditioning use and reduce carbon emissions by 0.8 percent annually.