Keep Your Cool: A Look at New 3M™ Cooling Film

What if a vehicle film could do more than change the way a vehicle looks?

3M™ Cooling Film is a highly reflective performance film engineered to help keep vehicles cooler, without using additional energy. Applied to exterior vehicle roofs, the film uses proprietary technology to reflect sunlight and release heat away from the surface, helping reduce heat buildup inside the vehicle.

For fleet, rail, and transportation applications, that can mean improved comfort, less heat exposure for temperature-sensitive cargo, and reduced demand on vehicle cooling systems.

For graphics and wrap shops, it introduces a new type of functional film that installs using familiar tools and techniques.

How Does 3M™ Cooling Film Work?

When a vehicle sits or operates in direct sunlight, its roof absorbs solar energy and transfers that heat into the interior.

3M™ Cooling Film is designed to help interrupt that process. According to 3M, the film reflects more than 85% of solar radiation while naturally releasing heat from the surface.

The result? 3M™ Cooling Film can:

• Keep vehicle roofs 10–30°F (5–16°C) cooler
• Reduce interior temperatures by up to 10°F (5.5°C)
• Reduce the demand placed on vehicle cooling systems
• Help improve comfort for operators and passengers
• Help protect temperature-sensitive cargo from excessive heat exposure

And because it’s a passive cooling solution, no additional power is required.

Why That Matters for Fleets

Keeping a vehicle cooler isn’t just about comfort.

When less heat enters the vehicle, its air-conditioning or cooling system may not have to work as hard to maintain the desired interior temperature. That can help reduce fuel or electricity consumption and potentially lower operating costs.

For electric vehicles in particular, reducing the energy required for cooling may also help preserve battery power for its primary purpose - moving the vehicle.

Cooling Film may be worth considering for applications such as delivery vehicles, service vans, commercial fleets, buses, rail cars, and other transportation vehicles that spend significant time exposed to direct sunlight.

Built for the Roof

Why install Cooling Film on the roof?

Vehicle roofs receive significant solar exposure, making them an ideal place to address heat before it enters the vehicle.

Cooling Film is engineered specifically for these demanding horizontal applications. A durable hard coat helps the film resist dirt, chemicals, and everyday wear, and the product is backed by a 5-year 3M™ MCS™ Warranty.

That’s an important distinction from traditional graphic films, which are primarily designed for appearance rather than long-term thermal performance.

Familiar Installation for Wrap and Graphics Shops

Here’s where 3M™ Cooling Film gets particularly interesting for professional installers: it installs like graphics.

3M™ Cooling Film incorporates familiar 3M™ Controltac™ and Comply™ Adhesive Technologies, allowing installers to use many of the same tools and techniques already found in a wrap or graphics shop. Shops can add a new functional film application without introducing an entirely unfamiliar installation process.

For fleet graphics providers, it could also create an opportunity to expand the conversation with existing customers beyond branding and graphics to include vehicle performance and heat management.

Can You Print on 3M™ Cooling Film?

3M™ Cooling Film is not digitally printable, but graphics can still be incorporated into an installation.

Electro-cut films or 3M graphic films can be applied over the Cooling Film for numbers, identification or other graphics.

There is an important consideration, however: additional material placed over Cooling Film will reduce its cooling effect. If maximum thermal performance is the goal, installers should minimize the amount of film covering the Cooling Film.

Cooling Without Using More Energy

One of the most interesting things about 3M™ Cooling Film is how simple the concept is: rather than using more energy to remove heat after it enters the vehicle, reduce how much heat gets inside in the first place.

By reflecting more than 85% of solar radiation and releasing heat naturally, Cooling Film provides a passive approach to vehicle heat management.

For fleet operators, that can mean a cooler vehicle, reduced cooling demand, and the potential for lower operating costs.

For graphics and wrap professionals, it represents something else: a new opportunity to use familiar installation skills to deliver a functional solution that goes well beyond appearance.

Interested in adding 3M™ Cooling Film to your shop’s capabilities? Contact your Glantz representative to learn more about the product, availability, and application recommendations.