German car maker BMW has unveiled a new innovation that allows a vehicle to change its exterior colour at the touch of a button at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show. The BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink, uses digitisation to adapt the exterior of a vehicle to different situations and individual wishes. 

The fluid colour changes are made possible by a specially developed body wrap that is tailored precisely to the contours of the all-electric Sports Activity Vehicle. When stimulated by electrical signals, the electrophoretic technology brings different colour pigments to the surface, causing the body skin to take on the desired colour. Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design: "The BMW iX Flow is an advanced research and design project and a great example of the forward thinking that BMW is known for."

BMW believe the innovative E Ink technology opens completely new ways of changing the vehicle's appearance in line with the driver's aesthetic preferences, the environmental conditions or even functional requirements. The technology thus offers unprecedented potential for personalisation in the area of exterior design. 

As well as being able to express the driver’s mood or personality, the colour changing technology also has practical applications. For example a change to a light colour could keep the car cool in summer, while a dark colour in winter will allow the vehicle to absorb more warmth. These selective colour changes could help to cut the amount of cooling and heating required from the vehicle's air conditioning and thus cut fuel consumption or boost battery range. The electrophoretic technology needs no energy to keep the chosen colour state constant. Current only flows during the short colour changing phase.