By David Reed, UT EditorShanghai, People's Republic of China-The first Chinese car with waterborne coatings from BASF Coatings has rolled off the production line at the Shanghai General Motors production line in Shanghai.The vehicle, an SGM Excelle, is designed expressly for the Chinese market, and the use of the waterborne paint system results in "significantly fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and require fewer hazardous components than the solvent-borne coatings used in China almost exclusively until now," a 2 June statement from BASF claimed."BASF is the first company to successfully launch waterborne basecoats with a customer in China," said Rainer Blair, group vice president for BASF's Global Automotive Coatings Solutions business. "The launch demonstrates a key part of BASF's global strategy-being first to market with environmentally sustainable products that offer 'intelligent solutions' for our customers, no matter where in the world they are located."Waterborne automotive paints have been used in Europe and North America for nearly 20 years, and the trend is growing. In China, however, they have been virtually unknown until now, says BASF. Blair expects the introduction of the technology in China to dramatically change market dynamics in terms of vehicle finish quality and environmental sustainability.Blair emphasised that BASF Coatings is committed to the automobile industry and to helping its customers worldwide be more successful. He cited the introduction of waterborne automotive coatings in China as an example of that commitment."We are also very serious about our responsibility for protecting the environment and future generations around the world," said Blair."
