In a quick rapid-fire email-based interview, Ravi Mittal, Director Manufacturing, MG Motor India, spoke about the world of colours in cars during 2023, and how the company is evolving its colour palette and dealing with its related environmental impact to offer customers enhanced experience.
There is a rising demand for customised paints by car buyers. How is MG Motor India catering to this demand?
MG Motor India offers dual-tone colour combinations in most of its models, and additional customisation options are also available at the dealerships. For example, the MG Comet EV offers approximately 15 customisation choices, primarily categorised under Sticker Style, Comet Lit Pack, and Customised Interior & Exterior. Customers can choose from accessories and colours to personalise this ultra-compact electric vehicle according to their preferences and personality.
Other than customised paint options, customers are equally concerned about the impact on the environment and look for sustainable paints. How is the company approaching this changing landscape with innovative solutions?
As part of our commitment to sustainability, MG Motor India is actively pursuing innovation through its channel partner, PPGA, which has developed cutting-edge chemicals designed to make a positive impact on the environment and society. We engineer our products to possess the lowest environmental impact.
MG Motor India utilises the next-generation PPGA ED Paint, providing improved edge covering and corrosion resistance for the interior ED coating, ensuring high-quality performance for car bodies. At MGI, coated sheet metal is employed for skin parts, enhancing corrosion protection, durability, and overall performance of the cars.
The Company has successfully implemented Surface Cleaning Room Temperature Degreasing solution that contains a Keratolytic agent and Bisphosphonates-based acid, allowing for operation at room temperature. The Low-Temperature Phosphate, based on the Versabond pretreatment system, facilitates reactions at lower temperatures compared to traditional phosphating systems. Furthermore, our High Throw Low Cure (HTLC) ED Paint employs advanced technology with higher wet film resistance, enabling superior coating in inner box-section areas.
In addition to these advancements, MG Motor India has recently integrated a Low Cure Primer Paint containing enhanced technology catalysts, allowing for reactions at lower temperatures. These cutting-edge chemicals collectively contribute to a significant reduction in the overall painting process temperature, resulting in substantial energy conservation. This initiative has led to a reduction of over 1500 tons of CO2 emissions per annum.
MG Motor India has also implemented the next-generation painting robots that have dual painting mechanisms for high runner colours, which helps reduce solvent consumption and contributes to VOC reduction.
Lastly, which colours predominantly remained the favourite of the customers in 2023 and what does your market research indicate about the evolving choices?
Within the SUV segment, customer preference trends reveal a dominance of white colour (40%), followed by Silver (24%) and Black (12%). Other colours, including red, blue, and grey, collectively constitute 24% of the overall colour demand.
Notably, MG Cars' customers prefer White colour (39% approx.), aligning seamlessly with the prevailing trend in the Indian market. Around 29% customers prefer Black as the second most favored colour, surpassing the average trend observed in the Indian market. This increased preference for black is attributed to its complementarity with MG Cars' design, contributing to an overall superior aesthetic appearance.
In addition to these popular choices, MG Motor India enriches its colour palette with next-generation options such as Dune Brown, Spice Orange, and Apple Green. These vibrant hues are meticulously curated to align with the preferences of the next-generation customer demographic.
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