Axalta’s Cromax Refinish Brand Becomes Silver Partner of Belgian Punch Powertrain Solar Team

Cromax, one of the premium refinish brands of Axalta Coating Systems has become a Silver Partner of the Punch Powertrain Solar Team. Comprised of engineering students from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, the team will compete in this year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia on October 8 – 15, 2017. Axalta’s support of the Punch Powertrain Solar Car, now in its second challenge, reflects the convergence of the company’s product technology, commitment to motorsports, university relations program, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

“Axalta was a fantastic partner for the 2015 World Challenge so we are incredibly pleased to be working with the Cromax brand again, this time as a Silver Partner. Our shared values, which include a love for innovation, a dedication to teamwork and an integral philosophy for sustainability, solidifies our confidence that this year, along with our other partners, we will improve on our previous years’ finishing positions,” says Robert Kuchera, Business Relations & Events for Punch Powertrain Solar Team.

The team will rely not only on Cromax, which will supply and apply the paint for the specially designed solar car, but also on Axalta’s considerable experience in other motorsports disciplines around the world, including NASCAR and Formula OneTM. The car will be sprayed at Axalta’s Cromax EMEA Training Centre in Mechelen, Belgium, and will be officially unveiled in the summer. Students will work in tandem with Cromax application experts to understand the intricacies of vehicle painting and the ways in which Cromax products can enhance the design, structure, and speed of the car. The Cromax logo will appear on the car, on the team’s clothing, and on the team support vehicles.

Dries Van den Bergh, Cromax Brand Manager Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), adds, “Axalta has a rich heritage in motorsport of all kinds, and our support of student teams is perhaps the most rewarding. Supporting the Punch Powertrain Solar Team is part of our global effort to help students apply their skills and develop new technical, scientific and engineering solutions.”

Participation in university racing enables Axalta to help students recognize the role of coatings in motorsports in addition to the applied technology, engineering, and innovation that go into the company’s products. Axalta’s partnership with the Punch Powertrain Solar Team also aligns with the company’s commitment to sustainability by supporting next generation vehicles that can offer a reduced environmental footprint.