Best Of CES 2022


BMW iX has a colour-changing exterior

German automaker BMW unveiled the iX Flow SUV at the Consumer Electronics Show. The iX Flow can change its exterior colour between black and white to suit the driver’s mood and conserve electricity.


It works similar to e-readers, and it can change colour according to the time of day and weather to regulate the cabin temperature without using air conditioning.
Though the iX Flow concept itself will not be made into a production car, many aspects
of the new design, language will be applied to future showroom models.

Though the iX Flow concept itself will not be made into a production car, many aspects of the new design, language will be applied to future showroom models. According to the automaker, the fluid colour changes are made possible by a specially developed body wrap.

When stimulated by electrical signals, the electrophoretic technology brings different colour pigments to the surface, causing the body skin to take on the desired colour. The technology only needs energy during the short colour changing phase. It can help adapt the exterior of a vehicle in line with the driver’s aesthetic preferences, environmental conditions or even functional requirements.

The BMW iX Flow has been wrapped in a “digital paper”, which is similar to the material used in the screen of the Kindle e-reader. Colour change is prompted by an electrical impulse, making it possible for
the driver to change the colour. The car needs no electricity to hold its colour and can be turned to reflective white on sunny days and heat-absorbing black in the cold, thereby enhancing the cabin comfort and driving range on account of power conservation.

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