In a world premiere at CES 2022, BMW presented the very first car capable of changing colour in a matter of seconds. The BMW iX Flow concept uses electrophoretic technology developed by Taiwanese company E Ink.
The German carmaker is bringing its bodywork to life with a specially developed custom wrap comprising several million microcapsules, with a diameter equivalent to the thickness of a human hair. When stimulated by electrical signals, they bring different coloured pigments to the surface, sometimes black and sometimes white. Note that this solution requires absolutely no energy to keep the chosen colour state constant. Power is only required during the colour change phase.
If rolled out to a production model, this technology would allow drivers to customize the colour of their car as the mood takes them, and all at the touch of a button.
This isn’t the first time BMW has hit headlines with its iX SUV. In 2021, the carmaker unveiled a grille that can automatically erase small scratches thanks to an additional polyurethane coating. — ETX Studio
