BMW moves closer to production of color-changing cars
▼ Summary
– BMW’s earlier concepts covered entire vehicles with custom-sized, non-durable E Ink panels that were impractical for mass production.
– The new BMW iX3 Flow Edition embeds E Ink Prism technology directly into the hood panel, making it more durable and easier to manufacture.
– The E Ink panel in the hood has undergone BMW’s stringent quality testing to meet automotive engineering and everyday use standards.
– The color-changing feature is limited to the hood, offering eight grayscale animations that the driver can activate with a button.
– The iX3 Flow Edition is not for sale, but its focus on practicality brings color-changing technology closer to moving beyond the concept phase.
BMW has taken another step toward making color-changing vehicles a reality, but this time the approach is far more practical than previous experiments. The automaker’s latest concept, the BMW iX3 Flow Edition, integrates E Ink technology directly into the vehicle’s structure rather than applying it as a fragile, custom-sized wrap.
Earlier prototypes covered the entire car with a patchwork of individually shaped E Ink panels. That method was costly, difficult to mass-produce, and lacked the durability needed for everyday driving. The new design embeds E Ink Prism technology into the hood panel itself, making it part of the car rather than an add-on. According to E Ink, this version has passed BMW’s rigorous quality testing and meets the standards required for both automotive engineering and daily use.
The result is a hood panel that can display eight different grayscale animations, which the driver can activate with the push of a button. While the color palette is limited to shades of gray, the system is far more robust than earlier attempts. It is also easier to manufacture, bringing the technology closer to potential production.
This doesn’t mean you can buy a color-changing BMW just yet. The iX3 Flow Edition remains a concept vehicle, and its color-shifting abilities are confined to the hood. Still, by focusing on durability and manufacturability, BMW is moving past the purely conceptual phase. The company has been teasing this technology for years, and this latest iteration suggests that a production-ready version may not be as far off as it once seemed.
(Source: The Verge)
