AkzoNobel Partners With Electric Vehicle Maker for Refinishing Purposes

AkzoNobel has become the global refinish partner for energy vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD Auto Sales Co., a seller of EVs worldwide.

AkzoNobel has been a recommended supplier of vehicle refinish products and services to BYD in China since 2017. The extended partnership means the company is expanding into BYD’s body shops and approved repairer networks worldwide while still continuing with terms from the original agreement.

“We’re delighted to broaden our partnership with BYD globally and together push ahead with our shared ambition of reducing carbon emissions,” says Patrick Bourguignon, director of AkzoNobel’s automotive and specialty coatings business. “Making transport more sustainable is a major driving force behind our innovation, and BYD will benefit from a host of digital tools and cutting-edge services, as well as our class-leading vehicle refinish systems.”

One of these tools will include the CO₂eRepairCalculator — a repair system designed to measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions in the vehicle refinish industry. It’s part of an initiative which aims to encourage body shops to become more sustainable.

Other digital solutions being provided include MixIt, AkzoNobel’s digital color identification and retrieval application. Meanwhile, the company’s Wanda brand continues to be supplied in China, with plans to supply Sikkens and Lesonal globally.

Originally a battery maker, BYD has more than 1,180,000 EVs in operation, ranking first in China’s EV sales from 2014 to 2019.

“We look forward to supporting BYD with its pioneering work in the eMobility space, while underlining our own commitment to halving our carbon emissions across the full value chain by 2030,” Bourguignon adds.