MORE COLOUR VARIETY EXPECTED IN NORTH AMERICA, SAYS BASF 2022 COATINGS REPORT
BY KATE NG
White and black car coatings remain king across the world, but the rainbow of automotive colour broadens, according to BASF’s 2022 Color Report for Automotive OEM Coatings.
According to the report released on Jan. 18, 2023, achromatic colours continue their dominance, largely due to their prevalence on non-commercial vehicles produced in 2022–in other words, fleet vehicles.
White remains the most popular car colour globally, with BASF describing it as a timeless classic with a high resale value.
Outside of the achromatic scale, red and blue remain especially popular colours in North America. However, yellow, orange, green and violet grow in market share, which BASF explains as automakers embracing a wider range of diverse colours than before. “If you look at the heavy hitters among the chromatic colours, blue and red are on top. But with people turning more to nature, natural colours like green, yellow, violet, and beige are making their mark,” said Liz Hoffman, head of design.
Meanwhile in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), white and black saw gains, though BASF says the region has gotten more colourful. Besides losses in market share for grey and silver, yellow, orange, brown and green increased by a few percentage points. Asia Pacific saw a six percent increase in grey shades, with solid and pearl colour effects being notable for adding diversity in the same hue. While white remains the most popular, growing colour ranges in small vehicle and neighbourhood electric vehicle sales have translated to fairly consistent demand for brown, green and violet.
South America’s preference for the achromatic tones continues, with brown gaining market share, especially among smaller vehicles. While red and blue remained stable, development in paint effects for achromatic hues continues.
