In January 2022, we reported on a new technology BMW was working on, which could potentially make chameleons of their vehicles. E Ink, as it’s called, would allow an owner to change their vehicle’s colour to suit their mood at any particular moment.
The technology is back in the news this week. The engineer behind its development says E Ink could be in use with BMW production vehicles within three to five years.
Interviewed on the Australian program Drive, BMW engineer Stella Clarke invoked that timeline as being realistic for E Ink to come into use. In theory, its application could simplify the car manufacturing process, given that each unit of a particular model could receive the same E Ink finish, which could then be modified to obtain the colour desired by the customer.
“The vision would be to bring it to a broad customer base and the dream is that in a car factory, you no longer have the traditional spray-painting cabins, but rather everything gets [E Ink] and every car can do every colour.”
- Stella Clarke, BMW engineer
The Drive reports that the technology would also be highly energy efficient. Using this system, changing the colour of a vehicle would consume only 20 watts, the same amount of energy as a single light bulb.
Clarke acknowledged that E Ink technology won't be cheap, at least initially – which is almost always the case with new technologies.
Stella Clarke said she developed E Ink at home, in her attic, during the pandemic, before presenting the technology to higher-ups at BMW. The technology was first shown on the iX Flow concept at CES in Las Vegas in January 2022.
Changing the colour of your car can be an attractive indulgence for users, but it can have practical applications as well. Imagine, on a hot day, being able to switch your finish from black to white to help keep things cooler inside the vehicle. Another benefit that Clarke evoked: users could have their car “flash” colours in a packed parking for easy spotting.
On the flip side, we can also imagine more problematic situations. Like if a car is stolen or after a crime in which a vehicle is involved, changing its colour could help disguise it from the watchful eyes of law enforcement. Fortunately, there are other ways of locating a vehicle.
Safety issues will also be raised. We can't imagine drivers having the ability to switch their car's colour whilst in movement on the road, as this would be distracting for other motorists. Most likely, it will only be possible to do when stationary.
Given the concerns, it’s quite possible the technology will be approved in some markets, but not in others.
