BMW surprises at CES 2022 with the color-changing iX

You've already decided you want BMW's new electric SUV, and you're going all out for the new M60 version ; but you still can't decide on the paint color. Black? White? Perhaps gray? Look no further, BMW's new technology that allows you to change the vehicle's paint color simply by pressing a button is the ultimate solution to all your problems.

The Bavarian manufacturer has left attendees at the latest edition of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas speechless, showing an iX unit capable of changing its paint color like a chameleon.

This new technology developed by BMW is based on the electronic ink currently used in e-readers, such as Amazon's popular Kindle. The surface of this iX unit is covered by a layer containing millions of microcapsules, each about the thickness of a human hair . Each of these microcapsules contains either negatively charged white pigments or positively charged black pigments, so applying a specific electrical charge can stimulate one or the other of these microcapsules.

This allows you to change the vehicle's color between black and white and various shades of gray, but it's not possible to select other colors like red or blue. BMW states that, beyond aesthetics, this technology could be highly relevant in electric vehicles for improving their efficiency.

White in summer and black in winter

As the Bavarian manufacturer explains, white surfaces reflect more of the sun's rays than black ones, which means that the former absorb less heat. This is something we have all experienced at some point: if you have a black car - or one with a fairly dark colour - and you leave it in full sun on a summer day, after several hours it is practically impossible to get into the vehicle. Something that does not happen in the same way if the vehicle is white.

The use of this technology, which changes the color of the vehicle's paint between white and black, would therefore allow a reduction in the energy consumed by the vehicle's climate control system , simply by selecting a light tone when it is very hot outside, for example in summer, and a dark one in winter when it is cold.

We know you want one, but be patient.

Although this idea seems really interesting and never ceases to amaze us, the bad news is that it doesn't seem like you'll be able to enjoy this technology in your new BMW anytime soon. The Bavarian manufacturer assures that, for the moment, it is a project in development and has not announced a date from which it could be available in its production models.

In any case, although we don't know how long we'll have to wait to be able to change the paint color of our vehicle by simply pressing a button, what seems certain is that sooner or later that day will come.