Car manufacturers have a habit of unveiling concept cars many years before the actual cars, or versions of them, are launched.
During the CES trade fair in Las Vegas, several car companies, but also Sony, have some exciting concepts in their luggage. We already written about Mercedes’ exciting IQXX, which should have as good a range as a diesel car with a full tank.
However, BMW’s concept car iX Flow is exciting in a slightly different way.
See the electric cars of the future
Changes color
The BMW iX Flow consists of a coating that allows the driver to change the color of the exterior at the touch of a button.
The surface actually has E Ink, ie electronic ink such as tablets, which means that it is possible to change between different shades of gray.
– The surface coating of the BMW iX Flow consists of several million microcapsules, which have a diameter corresponding to the thickness of a hair. Each of these microcapsules contains negatively charged white pigments and positively charged black pigments. Depending on the selected setting, stimulation of an electronic field will cause either white or black pigments to accumulate on the surface of the microcapsule, giving the car exterior the desired shade, BMW explains.
One of the uses BMW envisages is use on hot days and in bright sunlight.
– A white surface reflects more sunlight than a black one. At high outdoor temperatures and strong sunlight, you can thus reduce the car’s heating by changing the exterior to a light color, BMW writes.
In other words, it will pay to have a darker shade on the car when it is cold outside, and using the car less power to cool or heat the car inside, it will also help maintain range.
Will it be legal?
At the moment only white, black and gray are available, but there is E Ink technology as well supports thousands of colors, as we have seen in the Pocketbook Color tablet, so there is a certain potential for more possibilities here – if the technology is approved according to the regulations.
– We have no comments on the topic, but comply at all times with regulations on vehicle requirements. The question of approval should be directed to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, says Roar Skjelbred Larsen, assistant UP manager, to DinSide.
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