New tech should be used wherever possible, should it not?
When BMW revealed a version of the iX electric SUV with color-changing paint, one couldn’t help but wonder what practical applications this would have in the real world. Then again, who cares? This is cool tech, and the kid inside us wants to see it hit the market. Well, while the brand has admitted it wouldn’t be practical to sell a color-changing car (nor legal as far as we’re concerned), it does seem to think that novel forms of illumination should be explored to the fullest. The German automaker has already teased an illuminated grille for upcoming products like the i7 and its controversial new XM SUV. The tech isn’t limited to concepts and upcoming vehicles either and has been seen on the 2023 8 Series. But the same tech that enabled the iX Flow to change color could now find itself used as a new means of customization that could actually materialize in a dealership.
BMW
German Patent and Trade Mark Office
German Patent and Trade Mark Office
The illuminated grille on the 8 Series is relatively simple in that it casts light from behind the grille. But as new patent documents uncovered by CarBuzz show, BMW wants to take things further by using its E Ink technology from the color-changing BMW iX to highlight individual design elements including the grille. The patent documents that this technology would allow users to change the glow color of the grille depending on the purpose.
For example, you could use your BMW as a wedding car and choose an understated appearance with subtle illumination on one occasion and, on another like a surfing trip, change the grille to something brightly colored that gives you a summer feeling.
You could also change the color scheme and effect depending on what mode you’re in. For example, Sport mode could be red while Eco Pro could be blue, or green. Notably, any surface could be covered in E Ink material, so you could illuminate the fuel filler cap, the door handles, the trunk handle, or other areas as needed. Those latter areas are unlikely, but the grille seems plausible, as it’s already used as a highlight on cars like the M5 CS. Imagine having a car with a chrome grille and window surrounds, and then when you’re feeling particularly dark and brooding, you could activate Shadowline accents and turn them dark. Why have one design when you can have several in one car?
A separate patent filing refers to BMW’s E Paper, which would be a material used to trim parts of the interior. This could then also get a subtle glow in whatever color you choose and would be dimmable so as not to cause a distraction while driving, particularly at night. The glow itself would come from LEDs, RGB LEDs, or OLEDs. Basically, this would mean that your interior could look clean and classy when the car is off and could totally transform into a nightclub vibe (or whatever you like) when on. Interestingly, the latest BMW 2 Series gets glowing M tricolor stripes in the door cards, but the new technology would be far more customizable. With this, BMW could create different color schemes inside the vehicle and out without actually spending on different materials for different trim levels.
We’ll have to see if BMW takes this tech further, but with consumer studies regularly showing that buyers want to maximize customization and personalization, we don’t think it’ll be too long before this becomes mainstream.
BMW
BMW
