The BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA recently made its debut. A fine example where BMW's color-changing technology merges with the artistic mind of Esther Mahlangu. The design, which features parts that can be electronically animated, showcases advances in vehicle coloring in collaboration with E Ink.
On February 29, the BMW had its world premiere at the Frieze art fair in Los Angeles. The design may evoke memories of the BMW Art Car, designed by Mahlangu in 1991, when the artist designed the twelfth BMW Art Car, based on a BMW 525i — making her the first woman and first African artist to do so. “Her art inspired me years ago, when the concept of changing color on a car was just an idea in my head,” says Stella Clarke, Research Engineer Open Innovations at BMW Group. 'It is absolutely surreal to actually be able to realize this idea and work with Esther Mahlangu.' The 88-year-old artist's signature colors and geometric patterns are perfect for bringing the innovative Flow technology to life on the BMW i5.
The BMW, which is by the way named after Mahlangu's first son, has foils applied that can be electronically animated. With two strips on the roof, hood and rear, as well as over the sides of the vehicle. Just like an e-book reader, there are several million microcapsules in each E Ink film. The structure and arrangement of the color particles they contain can be changed by electrical voltage. This allows the typical colors and patterns of Mahlangu's art to be generated in constantly changing compositions.
Color change technology is developing rapidly. The BMW iX Flow with E Ink presented in 2022 already had the option to switch from white to black at the touch of a button. This was followed just a year later by the first multi-colored implementation. The 240 foil parts applied to the BMW i Vision Dee could display up to 32 colors. This new development phase now makes even more colors and patterns possible. At the same time, the parts of the film are more robust, which could facilitate possible future series production. For the time being, the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA remains unique…
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