Axalta Unveils Modern and Tech-savvy StarLite as its Automotive Color of the Year 2018

Bright and Sparkling are Top Trends of Today’s Vehicles

GLEN MILLS, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA) today announced the release of
StarLite, its 2018 Automotive Color of the Year. StarLite is a modern,
technology-savvy, premium color for vehicles of today and tomorrow.
Borne from Axalta’s ChromaDyne™ line of color coats developed for
automotive OEMs, StarLite is a light and reflective hue that uses
Axalta’s tri-coat process which is formulated with synthetic pearl
flakes to create an eye catching pearlescent effect. It is a
sophisticated color that is designed to look great on all vehicle sizes
while also providing functional benefits.

“From a popularity perspective, there will never be a better year to
highlight StarLite as an automotive pacesetter,” said Nancy Lockhart,
Axalta Global Color Marketing Manager. “While we see white cars
everywhere, the rise in popularity of pearlescent pigments that reflect
light underscores StarLite’s role as a modern, luxury color.”

Axalta’s recently released 2017 Global Automotive Color Popularity
Report, which documents vehicle color trends by geography, reported
white as the number one color in the world for the seventh consecutive
year. Globally, nearly 40 percent of buyers chose white in 2017, which
is up two full percentage points from 2016. White surpassed black, the
second most popular color globally by 23 percent. Pearlescent white, the
category that includes StarLite, grew four percentage points to 13
percent overall in 2017.

“Highly reflective colors can contribute to the functionality of
driverless vehicles because lighter colors, like StarLite, are more
easily detectable by LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems,”
Lockhart continued. “So, while StarLite may not apply to all autonomous
detection systems, Axalta believes these shades will become increasingly
important to automakers.”

Automakers consider many factors when designing a vehicle, including how
to protect it from harsh road conditions and environments, safety,
emission outputs and fuel efficiency. Researchers at the Berkeley Lab’s
Energy Technologies Area showed how
a vehicle’s color affects fuel economy and emissions. Berkeley Lab’s
tests found that using white or similar paint instead of black paint
could enable manufacturers to downsize a car’s air conditioner and raise
fuel economy by 2.0 percent, decrease CO2 emissions by 1.9
percent, and reduce other automotive emissions by about 1 percent.

“This research appears to support what we felt all along; StarLite is a
cool color,” added Lockhart.

Axalta will kick off the celebration of StarLite during the 2018 North
American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Preview Days in Detroit. NAIAS
highlights include a video reveal at the notable EyesOn Design awards
program on Tuesday, January 16, 2018. The color will also prominently
feature at the Axalta-sponsored Charity Preview on Friday, January 19,
which is the largest single-night fundraiser in the United States.

Axalta has more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry
and a history of color ingenuity. The Automotive Color of the Year is
selected by our color designers and product experts who take inspiration
from culture, fashion, nature and our Global
Automotive Color Popularity Report. The report, now in its
sixty-fifth year, highlights automotive color choices and forecasts
trends around the world. It is both the longest running and most
comprehensive report of its kind.

For more on StarLite, visit axaltacs.com/color.

About Axalta Coating Systems

Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and
providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable
solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish
applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings
are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the
materials we coat to last longer. With more than 150 years of experience
in the coatings industry, the approximately 13,600 people of Axalta
continue to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in 130
countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems
and technology. For more information visit axalta.com
and follow us @Axalta on Twitter
and on LinkedIn.

Contacts

Axalta Coating Systems
John Nolan
D: +1 267 400 6643
[email protected]
axalta.com