BMW demonstrates E Ink colour changing car at CES 2022

BMW has embraced CES 2022, not only revealing the most powerful version of its flagship BMW iX – the iX M60 – but it has also used the opportunity to show off a range of other technologies.

One interesting demonstration is the colour changing car, the idea being that while interior customisation is now common thanks to ambient lighting, you’re often just stuck with one exterior colour for your car, all of the time.

But the BMW iX Flow sees the exterior of the car using a special wrap that uses E Ink technology. Yes, the same stuff that powers your Amazon Kindle and allows a change between to different shades.

But applying a charge to the E Ink covering, the material flips the pigments it contains, moving between dark and light. This allows the BMW iX Flow to change its exterior colour at the press of a button.

“The BMW iX Flow is an advanced research and design project and a great example of the forward thinking that BMW is known for,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group design.

While this is mostly just star-gazing, BMW points out that colour changing could increase the efficiency of the car, with white reflecting heat from the sun, or darker shades absorbing more heat – something that could also be applied to interior surfaces too, like the dashboard.

Most observers will instead think about how great this would be as a getaway car, able to shift colour at the press of a button.