This BMW Color-Changing Car Will Blow Your Mind

BMW has recently showcased a color-changing car at the Consumer Electronics Show 2022, and it looks pretty impressive. The CES 2022 has seen a lot of innovative products this year. For instance, a smart guitar with LED lights and a companion smartphone app to help novice musicians learn the instrument. Then there are a couple of smartphones by Samsung that can be folded more than once. In addition, the South Korean company also revealed its upcoming lineup of smart TVs for 2022 that come with NFT support.

A company called Targus showcased a backpack with Apple’s Find My technology to track and locate devices built into it. It is large enough to fit in a MacBook Pro and can be tracked by its owner. However, some companies pulled out of the CES before it kicked off on Jan. 5, 2022, like Google, Microsoft, Amazon and more. Nevertheless, the companies who appeared at the Consumer Electronics Show revealed many products and devices, most of which will be available to purchase during this year.

BMW  showcased the iX Flow at the CES 2022 with color-changing technology. At the press of a button, the car can change its color from bright white to grey and back. Interestingly, the vehicle does not change color all at once. Instead, the material on the vehicle’s outer surface changes its color gradually, or it can also perform some tricks where the color changes in patterns, which can be seen here in a tweet by @Out_of_Spec. Stella Clarke, the head of project for the color-changing BMW iX Flow, says that the technology will enable car owners to express different facets of their personalities. However, looking at the car from a distance, anyone would confuse it for a high-tech vehicle from the future or a sci-fi movie.

How Does The BMW iX Flow Change Its Color?

Upon first glance, anyone would wonder how the BMW iX Flow works. The answer to this question is relatively simple and involves the technology used in a device that is readily available around the world. The outer surface of the BMW iX Flow is covered with electrophoretic coloring material, which is very similar to electronic ink displays used on Kindle devices. This material contains millions of microcapsules that have a differently charged white and black color pigment. As an electric charge is applied through the material, the pigments rise or come down to change the car’s color.

It is important to note that the color-changing technology on the BMW iX Flow was showcased as a concept, and there is no word from the company for its mass production yet. As of now, the electronic ink on the BMW electric car can only change colors between black and white. Additionally, the technology also finds an application in controlling the temperature in an electric vehicle, hence increasing the battery life. In summers, owners can change the color to white to reflect the warmth in the sun’s rays, and in winters, the color can be changed to black to absorb heat. The color-changing technology showcased by BMW on its car can be utilized in electric vehicles that come out in the future.

Source: BMW, Out of Spec Studios / Twitter