BMW has introduced the iX3 Flow Edition at Auto China. It features a unique hood with integrated E Ink technology. Users can select eight different animations to display. Lighting used to be an afterthought, but now it plays a big role in automotive design. This is clear as automakers have embraced illuminated grilles, light bars, and glowing emblems. BMW envisions taking things even further and they’re showcasing the possibilities with the iX3 Flow Edition concept. It features a hood infused with E Ink and “demonstrates the technology’s readiness for series production.” More: BMW’s Color-Changing E Ink Could Hit Production By 2027 The automaker has been playing around with E Ink for years and introduced the iX Flow concept in 2022. It’s now inching closer to road-going models as the automaker has integrated a display into a “large-scale bodywork element for the first time.” In this case, it’s the hood and users can select between eight different animations. This includes illuminating the outline of a Chinese skyline in a moving pattern and lighting up the buildings themselves. The latter can be done in a variety of different ways and in multiple levels of brightness. The resulting design is like a piece of automotive art that can range from “subtle to expressive.” BMW added the technology “makes innovation visible and conveys the driver’s style and mood in a personalized and context-sensitive way.” BMW declined to say when we might see something like this on road-going models, but automakers have been aiming for more personalization. Audi has been doing this for awhile and models like the Q4 e-tron offer customizable daytime running light signatures.
