PPG Developing Coating Technologies to Help Increase Fuel Efficiency
By 2025, fuel efficiency standards for U.S. cars and light trucks will require those vehicles to average 54.5 miles per gal—nearly double the average fuel efficiency of today’s automobiles. Researchers at PPG Industries’ Allison Park, Pa., Coatings Innovation Center (CIC) are doing their part to help automakers reach this target. They’ve kicked off a three-year project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to develop PPG pretreatment and electrocoat technologies for the next generation of magnesium alloys.
“These alloys are considered a significant enabler for improving automobile fuel economy,” said Dick Karabin, associate director of substrate protection and engineered materials at the CIC.