BMW unveils ‘colour-changing’ i Vision Dee concept car
At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, BMW stunned the public by presenting its i Vision Dee futuristic mid-size sedan that showcases a new design language as the brand transforms into a fully electric marque.
If you are wondering about the strange name, ‘Dee’ stands for Digital Emotional Experience. However, its E Ink colour-changing technology stands out because it enables the vehicle to curate its exterior in up to 32 colour shades.
The E Ink technology has also been used on the wheels for various colour options.
On the outside, the i Vision Dee boasts the iconic three-box design that further features traditional design cues such as the BMW kidney grille, twin circular headlights, and reimagined Hofmeister kink. It also comes fitted with phygital icons that replace analogue elements, and according to BMW, these give the i Vision Dee its own digital but human character.
That said, the i Vision Dee features a personalised welcome scenario that uses graphical elements, lights and sound effects to communicate with people. The car can produce different facial expressions of joy, astonishment or approval using the headlights and the closed kidney grille.
To further personalise the welcome scenario, the BMW i Vision Dee can also project an image of the driver’s avatar onto the side window.
The interior features an unconventional steering wheel design with central vertical spokes and touchpoints. The phygital touchpoints control selection is projected onto the windscreen and head-up display. Other features include a digital dashboard that spans the entire width of the windshield plus a Mixed Reality Slider touchscreen.
At this stage, BMW has not released information regarding the powertrain and launch timing.