BMW iX Flow
It looks like the ultimate spy gadget cooked up by Q in a James Bond film: At CES 2022, BMW showcased the world’s first color-changing car—although some will dispute the “color” claim given the modified BMW iX Flow can only switch from solid black to white and back again, or display complex monochromatic patterns at the push of a button. Instead of developing a radical new paint technology, BMW turned to a well-known display technology that’s been in use for decades in devices like e-readers. The upgraded BMW iX Flow is wrapped in a complex skin of electronic paper panels, courtesy of E Ink.
The car represents a radical new application of E Ink’s technology, and while some may see it as the ultimate getaway vehicle by instantly modifying its appearance, there are some practical (and more legal) applications to a color-changing car. If you’ve ever climbed into a black vehicle on a hot summer’s day, you know it can quickly become like an oven in there. Imagine being able to instantly switch your vehicle’s exterior to white on a hot day to reflect the sun’s rays away instead. BMW has no plans to make a color-changing exterior an official option on new vehicles just yet, but it’s a design concept that many would be eager to embrace. —Andrew Liszewski
