Coatings World - March 2017

Automotive OEM Coatings
March 2017 www.coatingsworld.com Coatings World | 59

will obviously drive improved energy costs for our customers but also improve the environmental sustainability of the paint shop plus provide tremendous logistics benefits,” he said.

In terms of color trends, Knavish cited increased chorma and depth as an area of focus. To meet the needs of the market, PPG developed the Andaro tint dispersion technology to give its customers and consumers a broader color pallet by enabling OEMs to reach previously unattainable color spaces. “Using Andaro technology results in 20 percent higher chroma (color purity), 50 percent deeper flop (when a color reflects light in different ways) than traditional pigment technology providing deeper more vibrant colors,” he said.

Knavish shared PPG’s build data, which examines automotive color trends worldwide.

White remained the most popular global vehicle color at 38 percent, up from 35 percent last year. Black ( 16 percent), silver ( 12 percent) and gray ( 10 percent) rounded out the top automotive colors worldwide. And PPG’s research has found that nearly 60 percent of U.S. and European consumers identified color as a major factor in their vehicle-buying decisions.

PPG regional trend highlights from 2016 vehicle build data
include:
• North America: White ( 25 percent) eclipsed black and sil-
ver (tied at 19 percent), gray ( 12 percent), and red and blue
(tied at 10 percent)

• South America: White ( 37 percent) was close to the global
popularity level, with silver ( 29 percent) a strong second.
Black ( 12 percent), gray ( 10 percent) and red ( 8 percent)
rounded out the top five
• Europe: White ( 33 percent) was followed by gray ( 18 per-
cent), black ( 16 percent), silver ( 10 percent), blue ( 8 per-
cent), and natural and red (tied at 7 percent).

• Asia Pacific: White ( 47 percent) led by a larger margin than in any other region, while black ( 14 percent), natural ( 11 percent), silver ( 10 percent) and red ( 7 percent) trailed.

Axalta Coatings System’s Fischer said that, according to the company’s own data, for the sixth consecutive year in 2016, white leads in global popularity. “At 37 percent worldwide, it is up two full percentage points from 2015. Asia favors white more than any other region; at a remarkable 48 percent, white appears on almost one of every two vehicles there. With white leading the way, neutrals continue to dominate the light vehicle pallet with black, grey and silver trailing. Silver, once the dominant color, has fallen to fourth position.

He continued, “We do see color coming into the neutrals in subtle ways to add dimension and interest. The 2017 Axalta Automotive Color of the year, Gallant Gray, celebrates this trend by using a neutral base and adding hints of color and light with silver and blue flakes.”