BMW reveals car which can change colour instantly

BMW has demonstrated an innovative colour-changing car at the CES technology show in Las Vegas. 

Applied to the firm’s flagship electric car - the iX - the technology can switch between black and white shades by using a similar type of system used in eReaders like the Kindle. ​

Called the BMW iX Flow, the system uses a body wrap that has been specifically designed to follow the lines of the car and uses electronic signals to relay different colour pigments on the car’s surface. By doing so, it allows the car to change colour. 

They use millions of ‘microcapsules’ with a diameter close to that of a human hair. Stimulating these capsules with electricity brings either black or white pigments to the surface of the capsule itself, changing their colour.

The system would allow drivers the ability to change their car’s look on the fly depending on their mood or even for functional reasons. For instance, changing the car to white on a hot day could help it to better reflect sunlight, therefore taking the strain off the air conditioning system. On cooler days, a darker colour will maximise warmth by absorbing the natural heat of the sun. 

BMW says that in both instances, changing the colour of the car could help it to travel further on a single charge. 

Stella Clarke, head of project, said: “This gives the driver the freedom to express different facets of their personality or even their enjoyment of change outwardly, and to redefine this each time they sit into their car. 

“Similar to fashion or the status ads on social media channels, the vehicle then becomes an expression of different moods and circumstances in daily life.”

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