The newest Ford Transit, available in dealerships this summer, will feature a more durable paint that lasts longer and will reduce emissions thanks to new technology developed by Ford and its suppliers, the Dearborn-based automaker announced today.
Preliminary tests show that the coating applied through a new two-wet monocoat paint process will retain 90 percent of its gloss after four years — a dramatic increase when compared to the conventional monocoat process, which results in 1 percent gloss retention over the same period of time, Ford officials say.
“Durability was a critical consideration when we initiated this project,” says Dennis Havlin, Ford’s global paint engineering development and launch supervisor. “The advancements in paint chemistry enable us to deliver the appearance, performance, and durability our customers demand.”
Havlin says the reduction in paint and energy consumed with the new paint is expected to result in 9,500 tons fewer carbon dioxide emissions and a 35-ton savings in particulate emissions on an annual basis. The new system will also help save more than 10.5 million gallons of water and 48,000 megawatt hours of electrical power, enough electricity to power 3,400 homes.
The Transit vehicles are the first to use the new two-wet monocoat paint process, which uses a primer coat that requires only a few minutes of open-air drying time before the color coat is applied. The color coat is formulated with the same appearance and protection properties of the clear coat, which eliminates the need for a separate clear coat.
Officials say the new paint procedure is being used for white-colored vehicles, which account for 80 percent of Ford Transit production at the Kansas City Assembly Plant. Given each color must be developed uniquely for the two-wet monocoat process, other colors will be considered based on demand.
