The color of an electric BMW, which can be changed at the push of a button, causes a sensation during the American technology show CES.

The model study “iX Flow” with “electronic ink” can change its exterior color with the smartphone, even in individual sections.

So far there have only been models on the car market whose appearance changed depending on the amount of sunlight.

With the iX, a thin film provides the effect.

It contains millions of color pigments, the white pigments being negatively charged and the black pigments being positively charged.

Tobias Piller

Editor in business.

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"This gives the driver the opportunity to express his personality or even his pleasure in changing to the outside world," comments BMW project manager Stella Clarke.

But the option of changing colors should also make a contribution to sustainability: In summer, white can reduce heat absorption in the sun and thus the need for cooling for the air conditioning system.

In winter, black color could lead to more absorption of heat from the sun's rays and help to save heating energy.

Everything that is technically feasible

For BMW, the new iX model, which was presented last year and will be on the market shortly, is intended to be an innovation carrier for everything that is currently technically feasible. The body is not only made of steel and aluminum, but also of carbon. The doors are opened with the smartphone. The large BMW kidneys at the front, which cover a variety of radar systems, are made of "self-healing plastic" that seals scratches from falling rocks in the sun or with the heat of a blow dryer. As far as the colors are concerned, BMW has so far been economical with the iX: the basic model with prices starting at 77,000 euros is offered in five colors, and there are eight for the new top version iX M60.

German car buyers have recently shown themselves to be not particularly imaginative when it comes to their color choice: According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, almost 30 percent of newly registered cars were gray or silver on the outside in 2021.

Black was chosen for 24.7 percent of newly registered cars and white for 21.5 percent.