The new color-changing technology from BMW takes the idea of cars as moving computers one step further. The color-changing technology is roughly akin to that seen on e-readers, according to Kelley Blue Book.
According to BMW, Kelley Blue Book “A human hair’s thickness in terms of diameter and number of microcapsules per square inch make up the surface coating of the BMW iX Flow with E Ink. These microcapsules each contain negatively and positively charged black and white pigments. The desired shade of the car body is produced by either the white or the black pigments accumulating at the surface of the microcapsule in response to electrical field stimulation, depending on the setting selected.”
Consequently, the microcapsules are effectively controlled and changed by electricity. According to BMW, this could help keep your car warm or cool. For instance, painting the car white will keep it cool in the summer and black will keep it warmer in the winter.
In This Article...
Advertised Links
Since its introduction in 1997, E-Ink technology has demonstrated its value in a variety of contexts, including laptop screens, digital whiteboards, and even personal accessories. At CES 2022, BMW showcased an e-ink vehicle exterior that can change colors based on the weather and traffic conditions, or just the driver’s attitude. This technology has finally reached the automobile sector.
In response to your initial query, no, despite being displayed at the exhibition on a live demonstration vehicle known as the BMW iX Flow with E Ink, this future technology is not yet ready for mass production.
The electrophoretic coloring substance is used as a vehicle body wrap and functions similarly to how e-ink displays do in Kindles. Millions of microcapsules, each holding a negatively charged white pigment and a positively charged black pigment, are inserted throughout the wrap. Applying an electrical charge to the substance will, depending on the environment, induce either the white or the black pigments to rise to the top of the microcapsule, changing the color of the vehicle in a matter of seconds.
The palette could potentially be enlarged to show the whole spectrum of colors, even if the current version can only switch between a pair of hues. In a prepared statement, Stella Clarke, Head of Project for the BMW iX Flow incorporating E Ink, said, “This provides the driver the freedom to communicate different elements of their personality or even their appreciation of change outwardly, and to redefine this each time they sit into their car.” The vehicle then turns into an expression of many moods and situations in daily life, similar to fashion or the status updates on social media channels.
E-ink external displays may also be beneficial for more practical purposes, including changing colors in response to the temperature to extend a car’s battery life (and hence its range) in cold climates or lessen the need for air conditioning in hot climates.
With the touch of a button or, if you prefer, by tapping the screen of your smartphone, BMW’s iX Flow changes from white to black.
A automobile that changes colors was been unveiled by BMW, one of the most incredible innovations in the automotive industry. At the push of a button, the company’s electric iX SUV’s paint job changes from black to white.
Thanks to products like dual-tone pearlescent paints, we’ve already noticed some kind of color alteration. However, this is fully powered by electricity, and you can use your smartphone to control the adjustments. You can select from numerous automotive components like hoods, bumpers, even rims, as well as the overall paint scheme, which can change from black to white or vice versa.
The Kindle e-reader from Amazon uses essentially the same technology. Millions of microcapsules suspended in a liquid make up a specifically made body wrap. These capsules have colors inside of them that have variously charged particles. The colors will switch depending on whether an electric charge is applied to the wrap in a positive or negative direction.
Similar to the Kindle, the on-display iX had a body wrap made of white and black pigments. Whites have a negative charge while blacks have a positive one. As a result, when a positive charge is given to the wrap’s surface, the blacks recede and the whites rise, giving the car a white paint job. If there is a negative charge, the impact is the opposite, with the black pigments rising and the white pigments descending.
The segments of the E Ink-wrapped iX were also precisely carved to fit the contours of the vehicle, enabling extremely fine-grained control of the color patterns.
Transmit this tale
If you’ve ever struggled to choose a car’s color, BMW might offer the right vehicle for you. At the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the German automaker displayed its revolutionary color-changing paint technology, which has more in common with a Kindle than you might initially assume.
The color-changing paint technology is making its premiere on a concept version of the BMW iX that is being displayed at CES, relying on E Ink, the electronic paper technology used in e-readers, and the outdated Pebble watch.
A human hair’s thickness in terms of diameter and number of microcapsules per square inch make up the surface coating of the BMW iX Flow with E Ink. These microcapsules each contain negatively and positively charged black and white pigments. The desired shade of the car body is produced by either the white or the black pigments accumulating at the surface of the microcapsule in response to electrical field stimulation, depending on the setting selected.
Though the carmaker claims this is only a “advanced research and design initiative,” don’t hold your breath for seeing this at your neighborhood BMW dealership any time soon.
The novel paint job can be activated at the push of a button. White, black, and grey are the only colors available at the moment. BMW claims that despite the limited color options, it may have an impact on the effectiveness of its electric vehicles.
The manufacturer claims that a white surface reflects much more sunlight than a dark one. “By implication, altering the exterior to a light tint might minimize heating of the vehicle and passenger compartment as a result of bright sunshine and high outdoor temperatures.” Darker colors will help the car absorb more heat from the sun in cooler climates.
In the auto industry right now, “personalization” is a very popular notion. However, BMW is introducing the idea of personalization to the exterior of the vehicle, although the majority of the efforts are concentrated on the interior, modifying the software to recall the driver’s favorite vehicle settings.
Nobody knows for sure how resilient or weather-resistant this high-tech paint is. For instance, I doubt this would do well in a hailstorm. But disregard my advice. Changing color vehicle!
Toyota updates the Corolla with a sporty turbocharger.
The feat is executed with specially shaped wrapping that has been trimmed to fit the SUV’s body panels rather than paint. Similar electronic ink technology as that seen in electronic readers is used in the wrapping. Electric wiring was then linked to each area after the colored panels were carefully cut to match the contour of the SUV’s body panels.
Millions of microscopic capsules, each carrying negatively charged white pigments and positively charged black pigments, are embedded in the panel surfaces. The various hues are produced by electric currents bringing one pigment or another to the top. The panels maintain their tone once the color change is finished without needing any additional electrical charge.
The SUV’s color can be uniformly applied or applied in various areas in various colors. Even the wheels themselves can change hue.
The BMW iX Flow concept was referred as as “an advanced research and design project” by Adrian van Hooydonk, head of design at BMW.
No intentions to incorporate this technology into a production car have been made public by BMW. However, the automaker did list a few benefits of being able to instantly alter a vehicle’s tone.
According to a statement from BMW, Stella Clarke, project leader for the iX Flow, “this allows the driver the chance to convey different elements of their personality or even their pleasure of change outwardly, and to redefine this each time they sit in their car.”
Second, it can increase the car’s comfort and fuel efficiency. A white body might reflect heat on hot days, keeping the cabin cooler and reducing the need for air conditioning. On the other hand, a dark body absorbs more heat, keeping the cabin comfortable on chilly days with less need for heating and ventilation.
The cost of body damage repairs, however, might be just as dramatic as the color effects if it were to go into production.
Use an app to change the color of your car: BMW introduces a color-changing vehicle.
The outside of the concept automobile, known as the BMW iX Flow, can be changed into a variety of gray and white designs using electronic ink technology typically used in e-readers.
Stella Clarke, a BMW research engineer, noted that the use of E Ink technology made the color shift extremely energy-efficient. We took this substance, which is somewhat thick paper, and our task was to apply it to a 3D item like one of our cars.
The substance attracts various pigments to the surface when stimulated by electrical signals controlled by a phone app, giving the car a new color or pattern, like racing stripes.
In the future, Clarke predicted, the adjustments might potentially be managed by a button on the dashboard or even by hand gestures.
According to BMW, no energy is required to retain the driver’s chosen color.
The use of color to affect sunlight reflections is my favorite use case, according to Clarke. “You may change the color to white today to reflect the sun’s rays on a hot, sunny day. You may paint it black to absorb heat on a chilly day.”
Although the car on show at CES could only switch between gray and white, BMW claims that the technology will eventually be expanded to include a spectrum of colors.
How does the color of a BMW iX change?
How does it alter its color? The outside of the concept automobile, known as the BMW iX Flow, can be changed into a variety of gray and white designs using electronic ink technology typically used in e-readers.
How does the color of the BMW iX flow change?
At the Consumer Electronics Show, the automaker BMW introduced an improved model of its electric iX SUV that can switch from black to white depending on the driver’s mood and how much electricity it uses.
The concept car, known as iX Flow, is covered in a type of “digital paper” that is also used to create the Kindle e-screen. reader’s
An electrical impulse can cause this to change color instantly, allowing the driver to match their vehicle to their particular style or the weather.
According to Stella Clarke, who oversaw the iX Flow project at BMW, “the vehicle then becomes a representation of varied moods and circumstances in daily life, similar to fashion or the status ads on social media channels.”
It might also be possible to increase the range of an electric vehicle by turning it heat-absorbing black in the winter and reflective white on sunny days.
The iX Flow, which BMW claims is “the first automobile in the world whose exterior color can be changed at the press of a button,” was unveiled at CES as part of a digital program live-streamed from Germany.
The traditional ink pigments used in the printing business are employed to operate the digital paper that was initially created by MIT Media Lab students and used to wrap the car.
Each sheet is made up of millions of microcapsules, each one roughly the width of a human hair and containing both positively and negatively charged black and white pigments.
The chosen color ink will travel to the capsule’s surface when these capsules are electrically stimulated, making it visible from the outside.
The digital paper, in contrast to standard screens, doesn’t emit light and only consumes power to change color, not to keep it that way.