As an electric car reviewer I get to try out lots of cars.
Since my home doesn’t have a garage or driveway I have to park these cars outside on the street near where I live so I see what their paint jobs all look like with leaves, bird poo, dust, rain etc on them.
Generally I suggest metallic paint as it is more reflective and easier to keep clean. Matte paint needs to be hand washed and requires more maintenance.
Dark coloured and black cars are the least safe for visibility and they get the hottest during summer.
Light coloured and White cars are the coolest inside during summer and easiest for other drivers to see.
White cars are the most common paint colour for Australian electric cars because buyers usually don’t have to pay anything extra for White. It’s one of the reasons why you see so many white Teslas.
White cars are easy to sell if you only plan on keeping a car for a short while eg 1-2 year lease.
Saving money is great but white cars also have the benefit of being the safest colour for other drivers to see on the road in low light, during stormy weather, at night etc.
White is also the coolest colour, not in terms of fashion and style but actual temperature. A white car will absorb a lot less heat from the sun than a dark/black car.
Unfortunately while white paint on a car means small dust and dried rain marks are hard to see anything dark like mud, leaves or bird poo will be really obvious as will stains left from any tree that drops sap / staining leaves.
Then there are black cars and colours close to black like the Biophilic Ink Ioniq 6 I drove recently shown above.
Black and colours close to black are certainly striking but dust, dirt, dried rain marks, bird poo etc are the most obvious on a black car. It will never look clean.
Another reason I wouldn’t buy a black car is that it is the worst visibility for other drivers to see you while you’re driving at night, during Winter, low light etc.
What about metallic silver? I reckon it’s the best all round car colour because silver paint means:
- dust, dirt, rain marks etc are less obvious
- the car looks classy
- your car will still be much cooler in summer compared to a black car
- other drivers will find it relatively easy to see your car in low light / at night
I haven’t forgotten Blue. According to the BBC blue is the most popular colour worldwide.
That could be one reason why I often get lent blue media review cars.
I think a blue is a good choice for safety and not showing dirt, dust etc that much but only if you can choose a very light bright blue not a dark navy or sea blue.
What about a bolder option like Red? I think a red car looks great and dirt/dust as well as rain marks are less obvious on them.
However I wouldn’t buy a red car as it’s better suited to an extrovert who wants to be looked at while they’re driving and also because looking at a red car at night, during winter or in stormy weather you’ll realise that it is a quite dark colour and less easy for other drivers to see.
Then there are glass car roofs which have some interesting pros and cons
Benefits
- Paint on metal gets damaged over time by UV exposure, bird poo acid, dirt, etc. Glass does not.
- Glass is quick and easy to clean if it has a protective coating applied. Though you could argue that for protected paint as well
Negatives
- Glass gets hot which means you’ll get hot inside or have to use aircon more. A sunshade may help. Some electric cars come with one and others you have to install a 3rd party shade yourself.
- Glass can crack and be weakened by impact eg large hail, branches falling on it, kids inside thumping it, roof racks being over tightened or over loaded. Though metal roofs can also be damaged by hail and things dropping on them.
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