The mobility shift is fostering new trends in automotive colors that differ from the classic color spaces. The perception of the automobile is also becoming more product-oriented and, accordingly, new, more colorful color trends are emerging. In addition, AI is now also helping in the development of colors.
The challenge for color designers in the field of automotive paints is high; for one thing, the development cycles for new vehicle models are relatively long, and in addition, the development of a new series paint can take up to three years. After the right color has been found together with the customer and realized in the laboratory, the next step is to develop a coating that is applied in a series production process and that also meets all other requirements, such as weather resistance and mechanical stability. This means that color designers have to think ahead for this period, take up today's developments and interpolate them into the future, so that at the time of market launch the coatings will be perceived by customers as fresh, modern and contemporary. That's why, for example, the designers at BASF's Coatings division go to considerable lengths and sound out future trends anew every year. Artificial intelligence played a role for the first time in creating the "On Volude" collection this year. Overall, the collection shows that colors that were previously rather atypical for the automotive sector are becoming increasingly relevant, and the colors convey a positive mood - despite or perhaps because of the tense global situation. In general, the collection is characterized by lighter shades as well as expressive color spaces. These new hues could be seen on the streets and in driveways as early as three to five model years from now.
Light beige shades for EMEA
In the color palette for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), there is a clear focus on light beige tones. Pastel tones also play an important role - they bring color locations that were previously unheard of in automotive design.
Shimmering green pastel tones and fluorescent red for Asia-Pacific
For the Asia-Pacific region, the important color spaces of white and gray have been enriched with new designs. Shimmering green pastel shades and fluorescent red address the increasing desire for individual expression among car buyers in Asia-Pacific. The collection incorporates realistic approaches to sustainable materials.
Soft hues and functional focus for the Americas
The color palette for the Americas exudes optimism and contrast and includes soft hues, minimized textures and subtle features that can already be envisioned in the series in the coming years. The shades reflect the IR portion of sunlight, reducing the energy required for air conditioning.
For the development of individual shades, BASF also has extensive tools for creating and sharing the designs with automotive designers. For example, the Auroom platform is designed to make design processes for digital shades much faster and more efficient by allowing a virtual paint layer with all properties from reflection to effect to be simulated and dragged onto any object geometry, similar to an FEM (finite element simulation).
All in all, we can look forward to seeing how the automotive industry takes up this year's Color Trends and what influence they will have on the design of vehicles in the coming years.
Find out more about the topic of color development during a visit to the Color Trends laboratory at BASF in Münster and Head of Color Development at BASF Coatings in the print issue 10/2023 (starting on page 18), as well as in an interview with color designer Mark Gutjahr. The properties and possibilities offered by the digital coating development tool "Auroom" are also demonstrated.
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