Nissan reveals paint colour palette for upcoming Ariya electric SUV
Nissan has unveiled a palette of ten exterior colours for the Ariya SUV, a pleasing change from the likes of Volkswagen which only offers a greyscale palette plus red or blue on expensive variants of its ID.4. There are four monotone and six two-tone options, and Nissan claims the paint portfolio was crafted to elevate Ariya’s premium look and feel.
Nissan Ariya boasts two bespoke colours, reduced CO2 output during paint process
Two brand-new colours have been developed by Nissan, Akatsuki Copper and Aurora Green
Technological innovations in the paint production line reduces carbon dioxide output by 25%
Nissan has unveiled a palette of ten exterior colours for the Ariya SUV, a pleasing change from the likes of Volkswagen which only offers a greyscale palette plus red or blue on expensive variants of its ID.4.
There are four monotone and six two-tone options, and Nissan claims the paint portfolio was crafted to elevate Ariya’s premium look and feel. The colours are applied by a highly advanced, environmentally sustainable paint production technology that reduces carbon dioxide output by 25% according to the company – further reducing the environmental footprint of this zero emission vehicle.
New colours for a new era of electrification
The design team developed Akatsuki Copper and Aurora Green especially for the all-electric coupé crossover. “The ingenuity the Nissan Ariya represents inspired us to adopt an entirely new mindset for colour design,” said Lesley Busby, Colour Manager at Nissan Design Europe.
Nissan Ariya in Akatsuki Copper. Images: Nissan
“Ariya is the culmination of Nissan’s electric mobility expertise and a strong statement of intent for the future of EV design. We therefore worked hard to introduce a truly futuristic and technology-driven design language for the colours, analysing them in detail to create the perfect match for Ariya’s innovative personality,” Lesley Busby continued.
Inspired by the Japanese phrase for ‘dawn’, Akatsuki Copper’s striking appearance mimics the brilliance of a sunrise, reflecting the beginning of Nissan’s new brand identity. Its metallic sparkle is enhanced to evoke the conductivity of copper wires, honouring the model’s advanced EV technology.
Aurora Green takes its name from the beautiful ‘Northern Lights’ phenomenon, aurora borealis, commonly seen in the arctic. A sophisticated blend of different tones means the colour may appear green or purple depending on the angle that it is viewed, creating a sense of wonder and intrigue.
Technology innovation in colour
Nissan claims an all-new level of detail and depth to customer-favourite colours, created with state-of-the-art paint production techniques. Lesley Busby commented: “We know that black and white colours are some of the most popular options with vehicle owners in Europe and around the world. With Ariya, we have introduced a new level of richness and a premium veneer for these customer favourites. Combined with the quality and attention to detail seen throughout the colour palette, we’re excited for customers to experience Nissan’s new era of colour design for themselves.”
Sustainable production techniques
Technological innovation has also been employed to enhance the sustainability of the paint production line. Nissan has introduced a water-based paint which allows colours to be applied at a lower temperature, ensuring that each part of the vehicle can be painted together. This streamlines the entire application process, reducing carbon dioxide output by 25%.
The Ariya already has over 29,000 preorders worldwide according to Nissan, and is scheduled for a Japanese launch mid-2021 starting from 5 million yen ($66,700 AUD), and a European, Chinese and North American launch late in 2021.
While Nissan Australia has gone on the record as keen to import the Ariya, no Australian launch timing or pricing has been provided by the company. We’ll keep you updated if and when that changes.
Lucid Motors reveals Arizona factory paint shop; targets 400,000 units per year across four models
On the back of news that Tesla Motors has begun construction on what may be the world’s most advanced automotive paint shop, Lucid Motors has released details on its paint shop under construction in its AMP-1 factory, located in Casa Grande, Arizona.
Lucid’s Arizona factory to produce high-end paint finishes, starting with 30,000 Lucid AIR Sedans per year
On the back of news that Tesla Motors has begun construction on what may be the world’s most advanced automotive paint shop, Lucid Motors has released details on its own paint shop currently under construction in its AMP-1 factory, located in Casa Grande, Arizona.
Lucid Motors’ competitor Tesla has been criticised in the past for many poor (and downright ghastly) paint jobs over the years. Recently however, Sandy Munro was thoroughly impressed with the exterior paint on a brand new 2021 Model—anecdotal evidence of course—which implies things may be improving in Tesla’s paint shop and its QA checks.
For many, Porsche has always been held up as among the best in the business when it comes to high-grade exterior finishes, and Lucid is clearly watching the big German manufacturers and Tesla closely to ensure its vehicles’ paint matches the company’s luxury image.
A Lucid Air after what appears to be the pretreatment and sealer phases of the painting process.
According to Mike Boike, Director of Manufacturing, “We're competing against the best in the world, and we know it.” he added. “So the processes and the materials that we use are nothing but the best in the world. We've got the latest and greatest paint process. We have the latest and greatest materials, and we have a high-powered team of engineers and manufacturing professionals.”
Lucid’s paint shop process involves the following steps:
Pretreatment and Electrocoat: As each Lucid Air comes out of the body shop, it gets rigorously cleaned. Then we apply both a thin film coating and electrodeposition coating, which protect the entire body structure from corrosion.
Sealer: Next we thoroughly seal the vehicle to prevent any type of air or water intrusion that could create road noise or water leakage into the car.
Paint: Once the unit is sealed and sanded, it’s then sent into the paint booth. Here, we’ve integrated the latest innovative process and materials technologies that result in a flawless, luxurious finish.
Finesse: Finally, post-bake, the car is brought to the finesse deck where a team inspects and polishes it to perfection before approving to ship to the customer.
Lucid’s automated painting process
Lucid plans to commence building the Air sedan in 2021, and is aiming for 30,000 vehicles in its first full year of production. According to the company, it’s more economical to build the paint shop based on the eventual full capacity of the plant, which is 400,000 units per year.
Lucid’s second model line, a luxury SUV codenamed “Project Gravity”
Lucid’s second vehicle will be a luxury SUV currently codenamed Project Gravity, which will arrive in 2023.
Source: Lucid Motors
