SHANGHAI: International automobile manufacturers and suppliers are expanding investment in China, demonstrating their strong confidence in the world’s largest vehicle market.

Last Wednesday, the United States-based PPG Industries, a supplier of paints and coatings, launched its first battery pack application centre in North China’s coastal metropolis of Tianjin.

The US$30mil facility features a full range of capabilities to test the application of PPG coatings technologies, materials and systems for electric vehicle (EV) battery packs.

“The new application centre is an important milestone in our effort to support our customers in China in the EV battery market,” said Vincent Robin, PPG’s global vice-president of automotive coatings.

“The new facility provides a means for them to validate our customisable coatings solutions that help reduce application costs, increase battery life, range and charging speed, and contribute to occupant safety.”

Robin said the decision to build the centre in Tianjin was made because of the company’s confidence in the Chinese market, which leads the world in the new energy vehicle sector.

The centre includes application testing for PPG technologies, such as powder coatings, fire protection coatings, dielectric coatings, adhesives and sealants, surface pre-treatment and e-coat technologies.

Its modular design allows independent projects in each of the applications to be implemented concurrently.

German auto giant Volkswagen recently announced plans to invest an additional 23.1 billion yuan (US$3.3bil or RM15bil) in Hefei, capital of East China’s Anhui province, through its Volkswagen Anhui Automobile joint venture.

 - China Daily