Thermal Video Showing How Hot Black Cars Get Will Surprise You

Everyone knows that darker colors absorb more heat, while lighter colors reflect heat. If you not a believer in science, put on a pair of shorts and plop down on black leather seats in a convertible that’s been sitting outside in the sun all day. That should give you all the proof you need.

This clip from MikesCarInfo on YouTube takes that rather painful approach to the subject and literally visualizes it. Armed with a FLIR camera that detects heat, he approaches a row of Toyota Highlander SUVs that appear identical save for the color. Now, we know the darker colors will be hotter, but exactly how much hotter is really surprising. As luck would have it, black and white Highlanders were parked side-by-side, and the camera registered a full 46-degree difference between them. Specifically, the hood of the Black Toyota was upwards of 159 degrees Fahrenheit (70.5C), while the white Highlander only showed 113 degrees (45C).

Those shades are certainly at opposite ends of the spectrum, but the clip also takes a close look at SUVs painted light gray and silver – two colors we’d expect to deflect about the same amount of heat as white. In fact, the gray Toyota was nearly as hot as the black one, with 146 degrees (63.3C) showing up on the FLIR camera. The silver SUV was cooler but still registered 129 degrees (53.9C) – significantly hotter than pure white.

According to the video, these SUVs hadn’t been driven recently so the heat on the hood shouldn’t be engine-related. That’s supported by the glimpses we get of the roofs, which aside from those with glass moonroofs appear to have temperature readings similar to the hoods. Could the metallic nature of the silver and gray finishes hold more heat than a plain shade of white?