PPG earns 2024 Altair Enlighten Award for sustainable electrocoat technology

PPG has been recognized with a 2024 Altair Enlighten Award from Altair Engineering, an IT firm that honors sustainability and lightweighting advancements in the automotive industry. PPG, in collaboration with Toyota North America, received the runner-up award in the Sustainable Process category for their implementation of PPG Enviro-Prime EPIC 200X electrocoat at Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Canada.

The PPG Enviro-Prime EPIC 200X electrocoat was introduced at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada North Plant in Cambridge, Ontario in 2023. This technology improves corrosion protection for automotive bodies while also significantly reducing environmental impact by lowering material usage and energy consumption. At the Toyota facility, the use of this product and its application process has resulted in a reduction of 3,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. Additionally, the amount of applied product per vehicle has been reduced by 0.6 kg, while the process saves 5.6 million kWh of energy and 1.8 million gallons of water each year.

Andrew Carroll, PPG Vice President, Americas, Automotive OEM Coatings, emphasized the importance of sustainability in the automotive industry, stating, “PPG’s focus on sustainability helps automakers and Tier suppliers reduce their environmental impact in the midst of ever-increasing corporate targets and regulatory requirements.” He also acknowledged the close collaboration with customers like Toyota to ensure that PPG’s products not only meet performance expectations but also deliver tangible sustainability and productivity benefits. Carroll expressed gratitude to Altair for recognizing the environmental impact improvements achieved by PPG and Toyota.

In May, PPG was also awarded the American Chemistry Council (ACC) 2024 Sustainability Leadership Award. This recognition, given in the Product Safety, Innovation, and Transparency category, was for PPG’s Enviro-Prime EPIC 300 electrocoat. This product cures at lower temperatures than previous electrocoat technologies, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions during the automotive original equipment manufacturing process.

Altair is a global leader in computational science and artificial intelligence (AI), providing software and cloud solutions in simulation, high-performance computing (HPC), data analytics, and AI. The company enables organizations across various industries to make smarter decisions and compete more effectively in a connected world, all while promoting sustainability. For more information, visit https://www.altair.com/.

PPG has been a trusted provider of paints, coatings, and specialty materials for over 140 years. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the company operates in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $18.2 billion in 2023. PPG serves customers in construction, consumer products, industrial, and transportation markets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.