Auto OEM Coatings
and cost from the coatings processes at the assembly
plant are certainly a key trend. Another big area is
“green” coatings for the emerging electric vehicle segment. Many of the new electric vehicle manufacturers
want to be green all of the way through the process. PPG
has several alternatives for these new OEMs including
our P2Zero process, which is an all-powder topcoat, zero
VOC system.
What technologies are driving the market now and
what can we expect down the road in terms of automotive coatings technology?
Color is something that attracts consumers to a vehicle
and differentiates a brand. So our customers are always
looking for new clean, deep colors that show off the lines
and design features of the car. PPG has developed a new
line of Andaro pigments that are exciting to designers
and give a deep, rich color. We also have some very interesting products in development at our research and
development center. We are looking at topcoats that
reflect heat, clearcoats that are self healing, interior coatings with new colors and texture, more durable electro-coat, existing products that use bio-based materials and
new processes that reduce the footprint of a paint shop,
just to name a few. CW
Auto sales slump persists
as consumers stay scared
Major automakers’ U.S. sales continued their deep
slump in February, putting the industry on track for
its worst sales month in more than 27 years as huge
rebates and low-interest financing failed to spur fearful consumers to make a major purchase.
General Motors’ sales tumbled 53% from a year earlier, while Ford’s U.S. sales fell 48% and Chrysler’s fell
44%. The major Japanese automakers fared only
slightly better. Toyota Motor Corp.’s U.S. sales plunged
40 percent, while Honda Motor Co.’s sales dropped 38
percent and Nissan Motor Co.’s fell 37 percent.
The slide casts further doubt on the financial viability of GM and Chrysler, which need to sell cars and generate critical cash to supplement the $17.4 billion in
government loans that are keeping them in business.
Automakers and analysts have been predicting sales
will rebound in the second half of this year, but they are
becoming less certain. Massive layoffs, the stock market
Industry analysts say when all the numbers are tallied,
February sales could be worse than January's total of
656,976 light vehicles. That was the lowest monthly total
since the industry sold 656,310 vehicles in December 1981,
according to Autodata Corp. and Ward’s AutoInfoBank.
decline and sliding home values are prompting people
to hold on to their cars longer, while those who are buying are more often opting for a used car or truck.
