White is the new black

Take a bow! We are a bunch of white car fanatics! According to a recent report by BASF (Color Report 2019 for Automotive OEM Coatings), Indian car buyers opted more for white over other colours in 2019. The share of the white in the overall car purchases increased from 43% in 2018 to 47% in 2019.  Meanwhile, silver (13%), grey (11%), red (9%) and black (7%) were other colours that figured in the top five most preferred colours of Indian buyers.  White has been a perennial favourite of Indian buyers due to its low maintenance, easy availability, fuel efficiency and cost affordability. The colour has been seen by many as an epitome of power and authority.  However, the 2019 popularity and its acceptance even in Electric Vehicles (EVs) segment speaks volumes of the future customer preferences and choices.  Interestingly, the popularity of white is not confined to Indian sub-continent alone, and it is on every second car in the Asia-Pacific region, and on every third car in North America and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), as per the BASF report.   In 2019, about 39% of all cars built around the globe were painted white, while 9% of the vehicles produced globally were