In the Era of Electric Vehicles, How Will Refinish Coatings Change?

With the rapid development of new energy vehicles, more and more automakers are adopting innovative designs and new materials for car bodies. At the same time, the automotive refinish coatings industry is also facing new challenges and opportunities.
So, in the era of electric vehicles, what changes can we expect in refinish coatings?

1. Challenges from New Body Materials

Traditional fuel-powered vehicles are mainly made of steel, while electric vehicles make greater use of aluminum alloys, composites, and carbon fiber to reduce weight and improve range.

·         Higher requirements for adhesion: Different substrates demand better compatibility of primers and undercoats.

·         More complex repairs: For example, if the surface of carbon fiber is not treated properly, poor adhesion or cracking of the coating may occur.

As a result, refinish formulations need to continuously improve to ensure reliable performance on these new materials.

2. Environmental Protection and Low-VOC as the New Standard

Electric vehicles symbolize green mobility, and their maintenance process also emphasizes sustainability.

·         Low-VOC coatings: Waterborne systems and high-solids clearcoats will gradually replace high-VOC solventborne products.

·         Regulation-driven: Markets in Europe and North America already enforce strict environmental standards, and China is following closely.

This means repair shops will increasingly adopt waterborne systems to meet both environmental and regulatory requirements.

3. New Trends in Colors and Finishes

EV brands are more innovative in design, and their color applications are futuristic and bold.

·         Personalized colors: Matte finishes, pearl effects, and gradient coatings are becoming more popular.

·         Functional coatings: For example, scratch-resistant and UV-resistant layers to improve long-term durability.

Refinish manufacturers must expand their colorant systems to meet these personalized demands.

4. Smart Color Matching and Digital Solutions

Efficiency and accuracy are crucial in EV repair.

·         Smart color matching: With spectrophotometers and cloud-based databases, repair shops can quickly find OEM-equivalent formulas.

·         Digital management: Mixing records and spray parameters can be stored and tracked through software.

This not only minimizes errors caused by manual matching but also improves productivity.

5. New Opportunities for Repair Shops

Although EVs present new challenges, they also create fresh opportunities:

·         Adopting eco-friendly refinish coatings to enhance competitiveness.

·         Using smart color-matching systems to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.

·         Tapping into the demand for personalized vehicle finishes as a new profit driver.

Conclusion

In the EV era, refinish coatings are shifting toward smarter, greener, and more customized soltions.
For manufacturers, this is both a technological upgrade and a market opportunity.
For repair shops, staying ahead of the curve will ensure a stronger position in future competition.

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