BMW may offer the car for you if you’ve ever been undecided about which color vehicle to buy. At the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the German manufacturer unveiled a new color-changing paint technology that has more in common with a Kindle than you might assume at first appearance.
The color-changing paint technology is making its premiere on a concept version of the BMW iX that is being shown at CES, relying on E Ink, the electronic paper technology used in e-readers, and the old Pebble watch.
The surface coating of the BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink contains many millions of microcapsules, with a diameter equivalent to the thickness of a human hair. Each of these microcapsules contains negatively charged white pigments and positively charged black pigments. Depending on the chosen setting, stimulation utilizing an electrical field causes either the white or the black pigments to collect at the surface of the microcapsule, giving the car body the desired shade.
Merely don’t expect to see this at your local BMW dealership anytime soon: it’s just an “advanced research and design project,” according to the carmaker.
At the touch of a button, the revolutionary paint scheme is activated. White, black, and grey are the only colors available right now. Despite the limited palette, BMW claims that it may have an impact on the efficiency of its electric vehicles.
“A white surface reflects a lot more sunlight than a black one,” the company says. “By implication, heating of the vehicle and passenger compartment as a result of strong sunlight and high outside temperatures can be reduced by changing the exterior to a light color.” In cooler weather, darker tones will help the vehicle to absorb more warmth from the sun.
In the automotive sector, the concept of “personalization” is quite prevalent right now. While the majority of the efforts are concentrated on the interior, such as modifying the software to recall the driver’s favorite vehicle settings, BMW is also extending personalization to the exterior of the vehicle.
Nobody knows how long this high-tech paint will last or whether it will be able to survive terrible weather. I can’t fathom how well this would hold up in a hailstorm. But don’t pay attention to me. An automobile that changes colors!!
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