Why can’t the drawings in invention or new model applications be in color?

The appearance can have color, but inventions and utility models cannot have color or rendering, from the perspective of mechanical drawing.

Another perspective:

Invention and utility model patents protect technical solutions, not solutions. In the technical field, color itself is an electromagnetic wave with a certain wavelength in the visible light spectrum. Each color has a range of bands, which is a range rather than a definite value. If a specific wavelength band has special technical significance, it is necessary to use wavelength to represent the technical characteristics, rather than simply saying: red. Compared with inventions and utility models, appearance design essentially protects a design solution and does not require technology. This is where the addition of color is allowed.