Hong Kong / Shenzhen, July 3, 2026 - On 29 June 2026, the HKMA Global Innovation Day cum HKMA/HKT Global Innovation Award Presentation Ceremony, jointly organized by The Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) and Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT), was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
i2Cool stood out among numerous entries with its Electricity-free Cooling Whole-Vehicle Solution and won the Excellence Award. This marks another international honor for i2Cool in 2026, following its inclusion in KPMG’s Intelligent Manufacturing Technology 50 and its recognition on the 2026 APAC Cleantech 25 list.
Driving Green Mobility through Technological Innovation
i2Cool’s electricity-free cooling technology is inspired by the photothermal regulation mechanism of the hairs of the Saharan silver ant. The special hair structure on the surface of the silver ant can efficiently reflect sunlight and convert absorbed heat into mid-infrared radiation in the 8–13 μm range, which passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by outer space, allowing the ant to stay cool in desert environments reaching 60–70°C.
The Electricity-free Cooling Whole-Vehicle Solution is a systematic outcome of extending this core technology into the field of mobility. Through self-developed nanoparticle materials, the solution achieves efficient solar reflectance and mid-infrared radiation, enabling continuous cooling without electricity consumption or carbon emissions. With both solar reflectance and mid-infrared emissivity reaching up to 95%, the solution can deliver an overall cooling effect 10–15°C greater than that of traditional thermal insulation materials at a comparable cost. When applied to whole-vehicle scenarios, it can significantly reduce interior temperatures and lower air-conditioning energy consumption, providing a new low-carbon and energy-saving thermal management pathway for both new energy vehicles and conventional fuel vehicles.
Supported by three core products, i2Automotive, the Electricity-free Cooling Whole-Vehicle Solution, provides comprehensive thermal management coverage from the vehicle body and windows to the cabin.
Through the synergistic effects of these three products, the solution forms a whole-vehicle electricity-free cooling system that covers exterior thermal insulation, light-transmitting heat reduction for windows, and cabin interior cooling. It provides a systematic innovation pathway for improving the energy efficiency of new energy vehicles and optimizing driving and riding comfort.
Whole-Vehicle Testing: Low-Carbon Transformation in New Application Scenarios
To verify the overall application efficiency of the products, i2Cool partnered with a major automaker in 2026 to conduct multi-day real-vehicle comparative tests in Sanya and Foshan. Under high-temperature summer conditions, the products within i2Cool’s Electricity-free Cooling Whole-Vehicle Solution all demonstrated significant cooling effects.
Electricity-free Cooling Leather | Cooling on the Surface of the Front Passenger Seat:
In the Sanya field test, focusing on the seat surface under high-temperature weather conditions, the front passenger seat using i2Cool Electricity-free Cooling Leather recorded a central surface temperature 17°C lower than that of a conventional seat, significantly improving driving and riding comfort.
Electricity-free Cooling Automotive Window Film | Solar Irradiance at the Front Windshield:
Vehicle windows are typically the main barrier against heat entering the cabin. Taking the solar irradiance at the front windshield as an example, when the ambient solar irradiance reached 1,122 W/m², the solar irradiance at the front windshield applied with Electricity-free Cooling Automotive Window Film decreased to 185.7 W/m².
Electricity-free Cooling Automotive Paint | Cooling on the Exterior Paint Surface of the Driver-Side Door of Vehicles in the Same Black Color Series:
In the Sanya field test, among vehicles in the same black color series, the exterior surface temperature of the driver-side door using Electricity-free Cooling Coating was reduced by up to approximately 8.09°C, fully validating the excellent thermal insulation performance of automotive paint-grade electricity-free cooling materials.
Overall Whole-Vehicle Cooling:
The test results showed that from noon to the afternoon, after 12:00, peak solar radiation combined with air-conditioning operation significantly widened the temperature difference. The head area recorded a maximum reduction of 4.84°C, while the waist area recorded a maximum reduction of 8.33°C. i2Cool already demonstrated heat-blocking effects during periods of low solar radiation, with the effect further amplified during periods of high solar radiation.
These test results demonstrate that the comprehensive application of electricity-free cooling technology across automotive paint, windows, and cabin leather can significantly suppress temperature rise inside the vehicle, effectively improve driving and riding comfort, and reduce air-conditioning energy consumption. It provides a quantifiable and verifiable low-carbon, energy-saving solution for both new energy vehicles and conventional fuel vehicles.
Continuous Innovation for a Greener Future
Winning the Excellence Award at the HKMA/HKT Global Innovation Award represents another authoritative recognition of i2Cool’s technological innovation and commercialization capabilities in the field of electricity-free cooling. Jointly organized by The Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) and Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT), the Global Innovation Award aims to recognize organizations and emerging innovators that demonstrate excellence in innovation, technology application, and business transformation.
i2Cool’s award-winning Electricity-free Cooling Whole-Vehicle Solution demonstrates the innovative potential of deeply integrating green technology with mobility.
i2Cool will continue to deepen its work in electricity-free cooling technology, helping more industries achieve low-carbon and green transformation, while contributing a Chinese solution to global sustainable development and carbon neutrality goals.
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