BMW reveals a car that can change its color

German automaker BMW showed off its new color-changing paint technology at the 2022 CES Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Drawing on e-ink, the electronic paper technology used in e-readers, the color-changing coating technology is making its first appearance on a concept version of the BMW iX being presented at CES.

The company uses this technology so that people can express their individuality through the design of the car. And that's the way they want them, on both the exterior and interior of the cars.

And with this car, you can instantly change the color from black to white, or add something like a racing stripe in the middle.

The BMW iX Flow surface coating featuring e-ink contains many millions of microcapsules, with a diameter equal to the thickness of a human hair.

Each of these microcapsules contains negatively charged white and positively charged black pigments.

Depending on the setting chosen, stimulation by an electric field causes white or black pigments to collect on the surface of the microcapsule, giving the car body the desired shade.

But don't expect to see this at your local company dealer anytime soon. The automaker says this is just an advanced research and design project.

The innovative paint scheme can be operated with the touch of a button. Colors are currently limited to white, black and gray. But despite the restricted color palette, the company notes that it may have implications for the efficiency of its electric vehicles.
BMW launches E Ink color-changing paint technology

The company says: The white surface reflects much more sunlight than black. The heat of the vehicle and passenger compartment as a result of sunlight and outside temperatures can be implicitly reduced by changing the exterior color to a lighter colour. Darker colors help the car absorb more of the sun's warmth in cooler weather.

The concept of personalization is currently very popular in the automotive industry. But while most efforts focus on the interior and software tweaks to remember the driver's preferred vehicle settings, BMW is bringing the concept of personalization to the car's exterior.

The company has tested the technology in a variety of weather conditions, and it works well. BMW said: 'Digital experiences will not be limited to future offerings. There is more and more fusion between the real and the virtual. With the BMW iX Flow, we bring the bodywork to life.