How #BMW’s E-Ink concept car changes color without spraying paint
If you’ve ever tried to decipher the alphabet soup of BMW model names, you know how difficult it can be. Is it an M340i? xDrive30e? These names are just noise unless you take a closer look at the engine’s displacement and feature package.
BMW has raised the bar with two new concept cars that are hard to explain: iX Flow and i Vision Dee.
These names mean nothing. they are abstract. But what about the car itself? They are visual spectacles. Unlike the static metal boxes we usually drive around in, these BMWs use e-ink technology to physically change their appearance. It’s a visual feast.
BMW has always used concept cars to showcase its extreme aesthetics. Do you remember the Vantablack X6? It is the only vehicle on the planet painted with paint that absorbs so much light that it looks like it has holes in it. Now they’re taking it a step further. They didn’t just paint the car black. They rewrite the skin.
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The science behind the chameleon effect
You might think this is a high-tech paint job. This is not true.
This is more like a high-end vinyl wrap mixed with an e-reader screen. This process uses laser precision cutting. Purely electric SUVs use very thin films. It fits every curve. Each panel is cut to fit the body perfectly.
When viewed under a microscope, this coating contains millions of microcapsules. Each one is as thick as a human hair. Inside these capsules are two pigments: negatively charged white and positively charged black.
Apply electricity, and the charges switch. The pigments flip places. The color changes.
It is a combination of simple physics and complex engineering. Solvents are not used. No drying time. It is just an electrical signal that transmits the color to the surface.
From single colors to infinite patterns
This journey begins at the Consumer Electronics Show in early 2022. The first version, the iX Flow, was advertised as the world’s first color-changing car. But it is limited. You can only switch between black and white.
BMW has updated its technology at the CES 2023 fair. They switched to the i Vision Dee sedan. The difference is night and day.
This new configuration supports 32 different colors. But most importantly, the package is divided into 240 separate parts. Each part can be controlled separately.
This means you’re not just changing the color of your entire car. You can create patterns. The complex and versatile design is applied to the entire body. BMW claims this allows for an “almost infinite variety of patterns”. It changes in seconds.
Is color-changing technology really green?
Constantly changing the state of millions of microcapsules seems energy intensive. So, is it efficient?
BMW says yes. E-ink technology only consumes power when switching. No energy is needed to maintain the color. Consider Kindle. The display uses no power to display static pages, resulting in incredible battery life. Cars work the same way.
But there is also another advantage: thermal management.
In summer, you can turn the car white. Light colors reflect sunlight and keep the interior of the car cool. Switch to black in winter. Dark colors absorb heat and warming the interior. Studies show that this reduces the load on air conditioning systems. The less you use the air conditioner or heater, the less energy the battery consumes. This is not just a gimmick, but a functional advantage.
Do you want to buy it?
This is the million dollar question.
Get to know the Vantablack concept. This is a one-time event. It was never commercialized. It’s natural to be skeptical.
This is currently an internal project. BMW tests durability. These panels must withstand a car wash. It is imperative to resist road debris. If a rock chips a segment, it becomes unusable. It’s a nightmare to fix.
Price is also an obstacle. This is not cheap paint.
However, BMW does not completely deny this. They suggest that commercial feasibility is reasonable. They just solve problems.
Ink source
If you own a smartwatch or e-reader, you probably know what they are. Paper-like grayscale display.
But you may not know the source. All E Ink technology comes from one company. E Ink Corporation. Located outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
This is the first time that E Ink Corp applies display technology to cars. Earlier use was limited to watches and books. Screens can now be shaped into any shape. The manufacturing possibilities are almost unlimited.
The technology exists. These cars are real. The only thing missing is the showroom floor.
