People view BMW’s iX Flow prototype at the BMW booth during the CES Technology Show on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 in Las Vegas. iX Flow is a system that replaces conventional car paint, allowing you to change the color and design of the car with E Ink technology.
Joe Buklevich | AP
BMW Future buyers don’t want to worry about what color their next car will be or what movies will be running in theaters.
The German automaker unveiled the iX Flow, a new concept vehicle with color-changing “E Ink” at the CES Technology Conference this week. It featured a 31-inch “BMW Theater screen” on a new in-car. Amazon Fire TV is expected to go into future production vehicles.
Liquid color changes are possible with a specially designed body wrap similar to the materials used in the Amazon Kindle e-reader, which is designed to fit the definitions of the entire electric vehicle. When triggered by electrical signals, according to BMW, electrophoretic technology brings different color pigments to the surface, thus giving the body skin the desired color.
The BMW iX Flow features E Ink
BMW
Stella Clark, project head of BMW iX Flow’s E Ink, said the color change was “crazy” but could provide “some useful utility events”. It offers more self-exposure and can display messages like charging status and blink if you can’t find it in a crowded parking lot, he said.
“We see a number of sensible application cases behind it,” he told a news conference.
The real vehicle is BMW’s new iX electric SUV, but the color change technology will not be ready in the showroom at any time. According to Clark, color-changing technology is not planned for production at this time, but may be the “road” to it in the future
Vehicle manufacturers usually use concept vehicles to measure customer interest Show possible technologies Or the future direction of the vehicle or brand.
The BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink can only change colors in white, gray and black, but technology can theoretically offer other colors, officials said.
The “BMW Theater Screen” features a 31-inch panorama display with 32: 9 Smart TV functionality and resolution of up to 8K.
BMW
BMW officials said the “BMW Theater Screen” is very close to production. It has a 31-inch Panorama display with 32: 9 Smart TV functionality and 8K resolution. The screen comes down from the vehicle’s headliner to display in the rear row.
“We create high-speed, digital experiences for clean driving pleasure. In theater mode, the rear of the interior is transformed into a private cinema lounge,” said Frank Weber, a member of BMW AG’s board of directors. “With a 31-inch display, 5G connectivity, 8K resolution, surround sound and a unique streaming program, the unprecedented experience sets new standards for car entertainment.”
