BASF released the color trend of 2022 automobile OEM paint, white and black are still the most popular

BASF Paint Business Department issued the 2022 Auto OEM Paint Color Report. BASF has continued to make statistics on the OEM paint colors used by the automobile main engine plants for many years, and has formed an annual report every year. In the newly released 2022 annual report, BASF found that OEM's color selection had increased momentum in 2022, especially yellow, orange, green and purple, which occupied part of the market share, and the trend of diversified colors was gradually obvious.

Although the color has changed, neutral colors such as white, black, silver and gray are still the mainstream choice of OEM coatings, and also cover most non-commercial vehicles produced in 2022. White still maintains the leading market share and has become the most popular automotive color among automotive OEM coatings. In addition to the classic and eternal beauty, the value maintenance of white cars is also the highest.

In addition to neutral colors, automobile manufacturers will also increase the choice of color coatings, such as blue or red, but their market share has been challenged by yellow, orange, green and purple colors, which shows that automobile manufacturers can more widely accept the diversity of colors than before.

The data cited in the report also showed that automakers' production capacity is rapidly returning to pre-epidemic levels as the global COVID-19 pandemic and regional supply chain challenges recover.

Each region also has its own characteristics in color preferences.

Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA): More options than white and black
In Europe, Middle East and Africa, although the share of white and black increased, manufacturers chose more colors. The two most popular colors (white and black) rose, while gray and silver lost market share. At the same time, the area has become more colorful.
Blue remains dominant among people of color in EMEA, but both blue and red have lost market share. Orange is starting to show up in car buyers' preferences, with yellow, brown and green all rising by a few percentage points.
"In 2022 there will be an increase in white and black, but more importantly, the diversity of colors," said Mark Gutjahr, head of automotive color design for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "The increased market share of yellows, oranges, browns and greens allows us to see a wider range of hues, reflecting the depth and breadth of color that has developed over the past year or two."

North America: more diverse color choices

North American car buyers have fewer options for colored vehicles, but that doesn't mean they have fewer opportunities to choose a colored car, truck or SUV. In colour, blue and red still predominate, but the region is more colorful than before due to the higher frequency of green, yellow, purple and beige.
Blue still holds the top spot, and the gap between blue and red is widening as blue continues to dominate. Neutral colors like black, gray and silver lost some market share, especially in larger vehicles. This has allowed for an increase in natural hues such as beige, brown and green, while purple is also gaining market share as car buyers' tastes change.
"If you look at the most popular colors in color, blue and red are the most popular. But as people turn more towards natural, natural colors like green, yellow, purple and beige are emerging," said BASF Automotive Coatings Americas design director Liz Hoffman said. "Car buyers are also looking for a vehicle color that expresses their positivity."

Asia-Pacific: An increase in shades of gray increases the proportion of achromatic

White is also the most popular color in the Asia-Pacific region, as BASF's designers have seen in other parts of the world. The real focus for 2022 is the increase in shades of gray, heralding a new era in the auto industry and the changing values and habits of car buyers.
Although not a lot in total, browns, greens, and purples are all popular colors. It will be a long time before they can challenge white as the most popular color, but for now, they add a huge diversity to the colors in the Asia-Pacific region. This is especially true in small cars and new energy vehicles, which come in a wider range of colors.
Blue, red, gold and brown lost market share, while gray gained about 6 percentage points in popularity.
Chiharu Matsuhara, Head of Design Asia Pacific, Automotive Coatings, BASF, said: "Grey is more attractive and popular than ever before. Users will never give up on the uniqueness and individuality of non-colors. Some with blue or purple undertones Gray shades are entering the market with solid-like effects and colored pearl effects added to show the huge variety of color spaces.”

South America: white, silver and beige colors dominate the market

Historically, car buyers in South America have opted for more traditional, less garish colors. As in other regions, white was the most popular color, while gray surpassed black in matte color market share.
For color, red and blue were stable, while brown gained some market share. These colors were likely chosen for smaller vehicles. Large sedans and SUVs have the highest achromatic ratios, including new effects and various effects for gray on large sedans.
"South America is still a conservative region. Buying a car in South America means you can have different colors, but within each color space, there are some really exciting different effects," said BASF Automotive Coatings South America Business Management Director Marcos Fernandes said.