BMW Created a Color-Changing Car Completely Wrapped In Electronic Paper

Choosing a railcar color is n’t just about personal penchant ; there are other , more practical factors that come into play . Dirt stomach out on a unclouded - colored elevator car , while a fomite paint a darker subtlety can become extremely hot inside as it absorbs sunshine on a lovesome summertime twenty-four hours . BMW imagines a future tense where no one has to take — shift the color of your car can bump in an instant by leverage the same low - power screen engineering that ebook reader use .

Calling the customized BMW iX Flow the company break atCES 2022today a giant wander Amazon Kindle is n’t entirely accurate . For starters , it does n’t have access to the Amazon on-line ebook fund , nor does it have a flaccid radiate backlight making the fomite stand out in a crowded parking lot at dark . It does , however , sport an knocked out wrapper made from E Ink ’s electronic paper exhibit engineering science , which uses tiny microcapsules of colored ink that get up or sink to change their visibility and produce specific colors , as well as complicated form and blueprint , almost instantly . If you want to acknowledge more about the singular display technology , check out our detailed explainer of E Ink here .

The first consumer devices using E Ink ’s color electronic paper were released in previous 2020 , but BMW is n’t taking advantage of that technology just yet . For now the upgraded BMW iX Flow relies on pitch-black and clean electronic paper to adjust the vehicle ’s external finish from darker to brighter . It ’s a smashing trick , but also a virtual way to improve the vehicle ’s efficiency . On a hot summer day the fomite ’s ending can be pitch to white to reflect the sun ’s rays and help keep the interior cooler with less need on the air conditioner , while in the cold-blooded winter flipping it to shameful would have the opposite effect , absorb heat from the sunlight assist to by nature keep the vehicle warmer inside .

Gif: BMW

gasolene - power motorcar already create plenty of estrus as a by - product of combustion that ’s used to warm a vehicle , but an electrical railroad car needs to solely rely on heaters to keep occupant warm which can be very magnate - athirst . An galvanic machine that ’s capable to absorb sunlight could , at least in theory , help extend the vehicle ’s electric battery life and range .

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