Have you ever gone to buy a new car and gotten tripped up by the “what color” question? It can be a tough one if you’re indecisive, tend to change your mind often, or just aren’t sure which might be best once you’re driving it every single day.
Well, worry no more – BMW has a concept car that will allow you to change your car’s color with the touch of a button.
The cars are the iX Flow featuring E Ink and the i Vision Dee, and they’re unlike any other car or concept we’ve seen thus far.
Image Credit: YouTube
They use color-changing technology that’s a combination of a wrap and an advanced version of an e-reader screen like a Kindle or Nook.
The wrap is thin and cut with lasers to fit each panel like a glove, according to BMW.
“The wrap contains many millions of microcapsules, with a diameter equivalent to the thickness of a single human hair.”
When you apply electricity to switch the charges in the pigment (negatively charged white and positively charged black), the pigments swap and so does the color.
They introduced the first version of the iX Flow at the Consumer Electronics Show last year and changed from black to white.
The newer i Vision Dee is capable of changing to 32 different colors and the individual panels can be controlled individually, which would let people choose their own patterns, as well.
These changes take place in mere seconds, so no need to plan ahead.
What’s more is that BMW calls the technology “extremely energy efficient,” because it only uses power while the change is actually happening. Not only that, but they claim the E Ink technology can actually make the car more energy-efficient because you could adjust the color to repel or soak up heat, depending on the season.
This could save you money, too, since you won’t have to run the heater or air conditioner quite as much.
Don’t get too excited, though – BMW says the color-changing feature is right now considered an in-house project, though they have hinted that they’re working toward one day making it available to the public.
This is definitely intriguing, but if nothing else, it remains impressive what engineers and designers can do!
