Watch CBS News

Is this the end of the carwash?

What if there was a way to keep your car clean, all the time, without visiting a car wash?

Nissan says this might be the next step in car design. The key is using super-hydrophobic paint, according to its April 24 press release.

Right now, Nissan is experimenting with Ultra-Ever Dry created by UltraTech International. The paint is specially designed to be water- and oil-resistant. It even repels dirt, mud, dust and grit.

"By creating a protective layer of air between the paint and environment, it effectively stops standing water and road spray from creating dirty marks on the car's surface," Nissan said in a statement.

Working at Nissan's Technical Center in Bedfordshire, England, the company has thus far tested the paint in a variety of weather conditions. It "responded well" to sleet, frost, snow, and standing water, according to the statement. They painted one side of the car with Ultra-Ever Dry and the other side with standard car paint.

"The Nissan Note has been carefully engineered to take the stress out of customer driving, and Nissan's engineers are constantly thinking of new ways to make families' lives easier," Nissan chief marketing manager Geraldine Ingham said in the release.

The paint is being tested on the Nissan Note, though there are no plans to offer it as part of the standard model. If the tests continue to show positive results, the paint could be offered as an aftermarket enhancement.
View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.