The State of Automotive Finishing: Automotive Finishing's Role in Modern Mobility

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Automotive finishing encompasses a range of surface treatments that improve durability, corrosion resistance and appearance. These are essential for components exposed to harsh conditions like road salts, moisture and mechanical wear. The market for automotive coatings and platings is showing signs of steady growth amid demands for sustainable and high-performance solutions. According to several market reports from resources such as Grand View Research (San Francisco, California) and Fortune Business Insights (Pune, Maharashtra, India), the global automotive coatings market was estimated at around $23 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% to exceed $30 billion by 2030.

With that in mind, the automotive industry is constantly evolving, and numerous market factors including trends in vehicle electrification and evolving regulatory policies are pushing the industry to explore a variety of material solutions across a range of vehicle components. Automotive finishing — the processes that protect, enhance and aestheticize vehicle components — plays a critical role in this evolution, to help ensure vehicles withstand environmental rigors while meeting aesthetic and performance demands.

For example, finishing technologies are adapting to support lighter, more efficient vehicles, as well as electrification. Some of these methods include traditional plating, electroless nickel plating, electrocoating (ecoat) and powder coating technologies. And while electric vehicle (EV) powertrains have roughly 60% fewer components than internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrains, they demand innovations in electrical conductivity, thermal management and corrosion resistance:

• Busbars and connectors enable high-current transfer and structural rigidity in battery modules. Plating enhances connectivity and protection in these applications.
• Heatsinks are critical for dissipating heat from power electronics; innovations include plating facilitate adhesion and thermal transfer.
• Additional advancements include finishing solutions for direct bonded copper (DBC) substrates, lead frames, batteries, e-motor and electronics housings.

Are we still excited about electric cars?

Recent years saw a surge in EV sales, driven by interest in reducing emissions and dependence on fossil fuels, and bolstered by incentive programs. While EV adoption in the U.S. has slowed because of policy changes implemented by the Trump administration, global momentum continues. According to Bloomberg NEF’s (London, U.K.) annual “Electric Vehicle Outlook (EVO)” report, global EV sales were projected to reach around 22 million in 2025 (up 25% from 2024). And according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA, Paris, France) “Global EV Outlook 2025,” global EV sales exceeded 17 million units in 2024, marking a 25% year-over-year increase that captured more than 20% of new car sales for the first time. China is the undisputed leader in the global EV market, with more than half of its automotive sales represented by new energy vehicles (NEVs) and accounting for nearly two-thirds of global sales.

In the U.S., EV adoption has slowed according to the U.S. Energy Information Adminstration (EIA), with battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) comprising between 7-8% of automotive sales in 2025. Policy shifts under the Trump administration have introduced headwinds, including potential repeals of federal EV tax credits, tariffs on imports and relaxed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. These changes, such as eliminating credit trading and reclassifying vehicles, could continue to slow EV adoption, favoring gas-powered vehicles, per Bloomberg NEF analyses.

Meanwhile, hybrid options are surging as a transitional technology, appealing to consumers wary of full electrification. According to Deloitte’s (New York, New York) “2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study,” interest in hybrids has risen as a way to cut fuel costs without relying on extensive charging networks, with plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) outpacing BEVs in some regions for their versatility. Deloitte noted consumer intent at 16% for hybrids versus 9% for BEVs, driven by concerns like range anxiety, charging time and price premiums. Globally, hybrids and PHEVs are expected to continue growing, especially in markets transitioning from ICE vehicles, bridging the gap to widespread BEV adoption.

Trends in lightweighting

Various market factors including vehicle electrification trends and changes in regulatory policies are pushing the automotive industry to explore a variety of coatings and finishing technologies to enable diverse material solutions.

Reducing vehicle weight through the use of advanced materials helps not only extend range in EVs but improve fuel efficiency and cut emissions for ICE vehicles. The impacts can be profound — the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that a 10% weight cut could boost ICE fuel economy by 6-8% and boost EV range by 4-6%. Many of the automotive lightweighting trends focus on electrification, including gigacasting — an automotive manufacturing process using large, high-pressure die-casting machines to form large, single-piece aluminum components, aimed at replacing smaller stamped and welded chassis parts — structural battery packs and cell-to-pack designs, which can yield 10-40% weight savings.

Metals like aluminum (30-70% weight savings), advanced high-strength steel (AHSS, 10-28% weight savings) and magnesium are currently the most widely used, while composites such as carbon fiber (25-75% weight savings) are experiencing growing use for battery enclosures and body panels. Of these substrates, aluminum currently dominates the U.S. market due to its availability, strength-to-weight ratio, conductivity and natural corrosion resistance via an oxide layer, though it is increasingly supplemented by recycled (secondary) aluminum and other materials.

What does this mean for finishers and coaters?

As the mix of substrates used in automotive manufacturing evolves, various coating challenges emerge. A variety of substrates means diversity of properties. Substrates vary in conductivity, thermal mass, melting points and surface tension, leading to issues like uneven adhesion and inconsistent electrostatic application (e.g., paint favoring conductive steel over plastic). Different substrates will behave differently with regard to adhesion and corrosion resistance.

Aluminum has become a pivotal material in components like structural castings and mega/gigacastings. However, this shift introduces significant surface finishing challenges, including ensuring low contact resistance for reliable welding, high dielectric resistance for EV insulation and thermal management, strong adhesion for bonding and coatings, and robust corrosion protection, particularly with recycled aluminum’s higher contaminant levels like iron and copper.

Innovative surface finishing solutions address these needs through meticulous cleaning and degreasing to remove organic and inorganic contaminants, followed by advanced passivation and conversion coatings which enhance performance without compromising weldability or adhesive integrity. 

With regard to pretreatments, zirconium-based options are increasingly replacing phosphates for sustainability, offering corrosion resistance. Meanwhile, trivalent chromium or titanium passivates enhance unpainted surfaces and support welding/adhesive bonding.

Electroplating

Traditional electroplating involves depositing thin metal layers — such as zinc, nickel, chrome, gold or palladium — onto substrates using an electric current in an electrolyte bath. This process enhances corrosion resistance, wear protection and aesthetics, and continues to be a staple in automotive manufacturing.

In vehicles, traditional plating is widely used for body parts, underhood components, power steering systems, chassis hardware, brake systems, fuel systems and electronics. For instance, zinc-nickel alloys provide sacrificial barriers against rust, enduring more than 500 hours of white rust and 1,000 hours of red rust in salt spray tests. It’s also crucial for metallizing plastics in bumpers, grilles, wheel rims, emblems and door handles, improving electrical conductivity in connectors and aiding catalytic converters with palladium.

While EV powertrains have fewer components than traditional powertrains, they demand innovations in electrical conductivity, thermal management and corrosion resistance.

Recent developments emphasize sustainability and performance. Innovations include exploring trivalent chromium as a replacement for hexavalent chromium for decorative plating on plastic interiors, nanotechnology for nanocomposite coatings with improved hardness and conductivity and environmentally friendly ionic liquid baths. Hybrid electroplating combined with physical vapor deposition (PVD) creates dual-layer durability.

Electroless nickel plating

Electroless nickel (EN) plating is a chemical autocatalytic process that deposits uniform nickel-phosphorus or nickel-boron alloys without electricity. It’s ideal for complex geometries, such as blind holes, ensuring even coverage where electroplating might falter.

EN is used to coat high-wear parts like brake pistons, shock absorbers, gears, fuel injectors, heat exchangers and EV battery connectors. For lightweight aluminum components, it offers wear resistance, corrosion protection and conductivity, often aiding plastic metallization. The technology is thriving in electrification, with hybrid systems addressing evolving needs.

In 2024-2025, developments focus on bath chemistry advancements, automation and sustainability to meet EV demands. For example, the Electroless Nickel Conference (ENC 2025) highlighted high-phosphorus variants for corrosion resistance and low-phosphorus for hardness.

Ecoat 

Electrodeposition coating, better known as ecoat, applies charged paint particles from a water-based suspension onto conductive parts via voltage, forming uniform films. Primarily used as a primer for corrosion and UV protection on car bodies, underbodies and structures, ecoat is often paired with powder topcoats for optimal durability. Recent innovations include high-build systems for thicker coatings with fewer dips, lower-temperature curing for broader substrate compatibility and PFAS-free options.

Powder coating

Powder coating is a versatile and increasingly vital automotive finishing solution in today’s market. Powdered resins are electrostatically applied and then cured under heat to form a durable, uniform film, offering corrosion resistance, scratch protection and aesthetic appeal with minimal volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In the context of electrification, powder coatings are used on EV components such as battery enclosures, heatsinks and electronics housings, where they provide essential thermal management, electrical insulation and protection against harsh conditions without compromising conductivity or adding unnecessary weight. For lightweighting initiatives, innovations like low-temperature curing powders enable application on heat-sensitive substrates including composites. 

On the horizon

From a global perspective, the automotive industry continues to transform with trends toward electrification and lightweighting at the forefront of environmental and sustainability goals. The future of the automotive finishing industry looks promising, with projections indicating robust growth driven by the ongoing shift toward electrification, lightweighting and sustainability. Despite potential headwinds from policy uncertainties and economic fluctuations, the industry’s resilience and adaptability position it well to support a more sustainable and efficient automotive landscape, where finishing technologies not only enhance performance and durability but also contribute to reduced emissions and extended vehicle lifespans.