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Volkswagen Presented With Automotive News Pace Collaborator Award for Ecoconcept Paint


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
Otmar Hauck of Volkswagen, Patty Dilger of Microsoft and Marty McQuade of DuPont Automotive (l-r) (Center)

AUBURN HILLS, MI - April 20, 2007: Volkswagen of America, Inc. was presented with the PACE Collaborator Award on Monday evening, April 16, 2007 at the 13th Annual Automotive News PACE Awards for its EcoConcept paint process partnership with DuPont Automotive Systems. This breakthrough technology was recognized for reducing the number of paint processing steps, cost and time efficiency, as well as being more environmentally friendly.

Volkswagen began seeking new cost-efficient and more environmentally friendly painting and finishing methods in 1998. DuPont responded to the challenge with an innovative basecoat and paint process named EcoConcept. EcoConcept eliminates the need for a separate primer application by including all the primer functions in the basecoat.

Volkswagen and DuPont collaborated to perfect the EcoConcept process and tested the technology in Wolfsburg in 2003, coating approximately 800 vehicles. Working together, the new processes launched in 2005 at Volkswagen’s plant in Puebla, Mexico and soon after in Volkswagen’s Pamplona, Spain paint facility.