Digitisation is delivering an integrated user experience characterised by individuality and emotionalisation in the interior of current BMW models. The My Modes allow the driver to tailor the atmosphere in the interior entirely to their personal mood and the driving experience they want. With the BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink being presented on the occasion of CES 2022, the Munich-based premium car manufacturer is offering the prospect of a future technology that uses digitisation to also adapt the exterior of a vehicle to different situations and individual wishes. The surface of the BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink can vary its shade at the driver’s prompting.
Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development: “Digital experiences won’t just be limited to displays in the future. There will be more and more melding of the real and virtual. With the BMW iX Flow, we are bringing the car body to life.”
The fluid colour changes are made possible by a specially developed body wrap that is tailored precisely to the contours of the all-electric Sports Activity Vehicle from BMW. When stimulated by electrical signals, the electrophoretic technology brings different colour pigments to the surface, causing the body skin to take on the desired colouration. Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design: “The BMW iX Flow is an advanced research and design project and a great example of the forward thinking that BMW is known for.”
The innovative E Ink technology opens completely new ways of changing the vehicle’s appearance in line with the driver’s aesthetic preferences, the environmental conditions or even functional requirements. The technology thus offers unprecedented potential for personalisation in the area of exterior design. The BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink demonstrates this potential to impressive effect. Against this background, the BMW Group is driving the development of the technology so that a new form of personalisation can be experienced both on the outside and in the inside of future production vehicles.
Already today, the colour chosen for a car is an expression of the driver’s personality. The choice of exterior paints available for current BMW models covers a wide colour spectrum. In this way, the longing for a wildly expressive, extravagant, or sporty appearance on the outside can be taken into account as well as the desire for an understated, subtle or elegant appearance. New variants are added each year that reflect the characteristics of the model in question and that allow the brand to keep setting trends in the area of exterior design.
New technologies will provide a whole new level of decision-making freedom in the future. “This gives the driver the freedom to express different facets of their personality or even their enjoyment of change outwardly, and to redefine this each time they sit into their car,” says Stella Clarke, Head of Project for the BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink. “Similar to fashion or the status ads on social media channels, the vehicle then becomes an expression of different moods and circumstances in daily life.”
How a variable exterior colour can increase efficiency.
A variable exterior colour can also contribute to wellness in the interior and to the efficiency of the vehicle. This is done by taking account of the different abilities of light and dark colours when it comes to reflecting sunlight and the associated absorption of thermal energy. A white surface reflects a lot more sunlight than a black one. By implication, heating of the vehicle and passenger compartment as a result of strong sunlight and high outside temperatures can be reduced by changing the exterior to a light colour. In cooler weather, a dark outer skin will help the vehicle to absorb noticeably more warmth from the sun.
In both cases, selective colour changes can help to cut the amount of cooling and heating required from the vehicle’s air conditioning. This reduces the amount of energy the vehicle electrical system needs and with it also the vehicle’s fuel or electricity consumption. In an all-electric car, changing the colour in line with the weather can therefore also help to increase the range. In the interior, the technology could, for example, prevent the dashboard from heating up too much.
E Ink technology itself is extremely energy efficient. Unlike displays or projectors, the electrophoretic technology needs absolutely no energy to keep the chosen colour state constant. Current only flows during the short colour changing phase.
Millions of paint capsules in a custom wrap.
Electrophoretic colouring is based on a technology developed by E Ink that is most well-known from the displays used in eReaders. The surface coating of the BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink contains many millions of microcapsules, with a diameter equivalent to the thickness of a human hair. Each of these microcapsules contains negatively charged white pigments and positively charged black pigments. Depending on the chosen setting, stimulation by means of an electrical field causes either the white or the black pigments to collect at the surface of the microcapsule, giving the car body the desired shade.
Achieving this effect on a vehicle body involves the application of many precisely fitted ePaper segments. Generative design processes are implemented to ensure the segments reflect the characteristic contours of the vehicle and the resulting variations in light and shadow. The generative design algorithms enable the necessary formability and flexibility required to tailor the ePaper exactly to the design lines of the vehicle.
Laser cutting technologies guarantee high precision in generating each segment. After the segments are applied and the power supply for stimulating the electrical field is connected, the entire body is warmed and sealed to guarantee optimum and uniform colour reproduction during every colour change.
Volvo has launched Safety Coach, an optional app that analyzes driving behavior, provides personalized safety tips, and could help eligible drivers lower insurance costs.
Volvo Cars is introducing Safety Coach, a new optional app designed to help drivers develop safer habits while potentially reducing their insurance costs.
The system provides driving feedback through the vehicle’s infotainment display and the Volvo Cars mobile app. It analyzes everyday driving behavior, including braking, acceleration, and cornering.
Each driver receives a personalized Safety Coach score that changes based on their driving habits.
Personalized feedback for safer driving
The app uses Volvo’s decades of real-world safety research to generate individual driving insights.
Volvo Safety Coach provides personalized driving feedback through the vehicle’s infotainment system.
Drivers can receive real-time tips designed to encourage smoother and more predictable driving.
Volvo says behaviors such as excessive speed and sudden maneuvers can make vehicles less predictable for other road users. By encouraging drivers to avoid abrupt actions, the system aims to reduce potential collision risks.
The company sees this type of feedback as another tool for improving everyday road safety.
Insurance rewards could follow safer habits
Safety Coach is not limited to driving advice. Volvo is also connecting the program with usage-based insurance opportunities.
The first rollout is taking place in Sweden and Norway. Customers in those markets will be able to opt in to share their driving data with affiliated insurance providers.
Drivers in Sweden and Norway can opt in to share driving data for potential usage-based insurance benefits.
Volvo says eligible customers can receive offers from Volvia based on their driving behavior.
The approach gives drivers the possibility of receiving personalized insurance benefits when they demonstrate safer habits.
The company plans to expand Safety Coach to the United States and additional European markets after its initial launch. Insurance-related programs are also expected to become part of that wider rollout.
AI and telematics power the system
Safety Coach was developed through a collaboration between Volvo Cars and Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT).
CMT provides the algorithm used to calculate each driver’s Safety Coach score. The company specializes in telematics and AI systems focused on safer mobility.
Cambridge Mobile Telematics provides the technology used to calculate each Safety Coach score.
CMT says data from its safe-driving programs shows that participants often reduce behaviors such as speeding and hard braking.
For Volvo, that suggests personalized feedback can help drivers build better habits over time rather than simply providing information after an incident.
Drivers control their data
Privacy and transparency are also central to the system.
Drivers must first opt in to Safety Coach before using the service. They can then separately decide whether to share their driving information with participating insurance companies.
That second choice is optional and is intended to allow customers to receive potential usage-based insurance benefits without automatically sharing their information.
The Volvo Safety Coach therefore combines driving feedback, personalized scoring, telematics, and potential insurance rewards in a single system. Volvo says the goal is to help drivers become safer while giving them more control over their driving data and potential insurance savings.
Ford is expanding its AI Assistant to 8 million more eligible vehicles, giving drivers faster access to vehicle-specific information through the Ford and Lincoln companion app.
Ford is expanding its AI Assistant to 8 million additional eligible vehicles, making vehicle-specific information easier to access through the Ford and Lincoln companion app.
Drivers do not need to remember their model year, engine, or trim level before asking a question. The system automatically connects to the vehicle’s information and can use the owner’s manual to provide a direct answer.
The expansion gives Ford and Lincoln owners a more convenient way to understand their vehicles without searching through pages of documentation.
Questions, images, and vehicle-specific answers
The Ford AI Assistant can be accessed directly through the Ford or Lincoln smartphone app. A blue oval and spark icon appears in the upper-right corner when the feature is available.
Users can type a question or upload an image. The assistant then provides an answer based on the specific vehicle.
Ford’s AI Assistant is available through the Ford and Lincoln companion app.
That means drivers can ask detailed questions about everyday use. For example, the assistant can explain the required engine oil, cargo capacity, or how specific features work.
It can also provide guidance on BlueCruise, Ford’s hands-free highway driving technology.
The assistant can read real-time vehicle data
The system goes beyond the information found in the owner’s manual. Ford’s AI Assistant can also connect to the vehicle’s real-time telemetry through the companion app.
That allows the system to provide information about current vehicle conditions.
The AI Assistant can provide real-time information such as tire pressure, fuel level, and oil life.
Drivers can ask about tire pressure, fuel level, and remaining oil life. Location data can also be used to answer practical questions.
For example, a driver can ask whether the vehicle has enough fuel to reach a specific destination.
The assistant can also provide step-by-step guidance for simple problems. That includes troubleshooting a power window or explaining warning lights shown on the instrument cluster.
Ford plans deeper integration in 2027
Ford is already working on the next stage of the technology.
Beginning in 2027, the Ford and Lincoln AI Assistant is expected to be embedded directly into the infotainment systems of select vehicles.
Ford plans to integrate its AI Assistant directly into the infotainment system of select vehicles starting in 2027.
Instead of relying on a smartphone display, the embedded assistant will become part of the vehicle’s digital experience.
Ford plans to combine the assistant with its own vehicle data and connected services. That could create a more personalized system capable of responding to both vehicle-specific questions and other in-car requests.
Ford AI Assistant and Google Gemini will work together
Ford is also upgrading its existing voice-assistance technology. The company is allowing customers to use Google Gemini as an alternative to Google Assistant for more natural conversations.
Ford describes Gemini and its own assistant as companion technologies.
The Ford AI Assistant is designed for specific vehicle questions and functions. Gemini can handle broader requests, such as helping drivers adjust the cabin temperature.
The Ford AI Assistant rollout gives millions of owners easier access to vehicle information today, while its planned 2027 integration could make the technology an even more important part of the Ford and Lincoln driving experience.
General Motors is moving all Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC electric vehicles to native NACS charging ports for the 2027 model year.
General Motors is preparing to standardize NACS charging across its electric vehicle lineup. While current EVs can already access compatible North American Charging Standard plugs with an adapter, GM expects every 2027 model to feature a native NACS port.
The transition will cover Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC, giving customers a simpler way to access fast-charging networks across the United States.
GM is moving to native NACS charging
GM says all of its electric vehicles currently sold can use compatible NACS chargers. However, some 2026 models still require an adapter because they use a CCS charging port from the factory.
That will change for the 2027 model year.
GM plans to equip all 2027 Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC EVs with native NACS charging ports.
The company announced that it expects all 2027 EVs to launch with a standard NACS port, removing the need for an adapter when using compatible NACS fast chargers.
The move should also make road trips easier as more public charging stations adopt the NACS connector.
Which GM EVs already have NACS?
Not every 2026 GM electric vehicle needs an adapter.
The Cadillac Optiq already features a native NACS port for 2026. The Chevrolet Bolt is also equipped with NACS, although GM lists it as a 2027 model-year vehicle for its return to the market.
The Cadillac Optiq and returning Chevrolet Bolt already feature native NACS charging.
The 2026 Optiq offers up to 317 miles of GM-estimated range, depending on configuration. The new Bolt combines its native NACS port with an EPA-estimated 262 miles of range.
Other 2026 GM EVs can still use NACS fast chargers, but they require the appropriate adapter.
These include the Cadillac Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, Lyriq, Vistiq, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Equinox EV, Silverado EV, GMC Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, and Sierra EV.
2027 GM EV lineup will eliminate the adapter
GM’s 2027 lineup will make the transition much simpler.
The company expects the following models to feature native NACS charging:
- Cadillac Escalade IQ
- Cadillac Escalade IQL
- Cadillac Lyriq
- Cadillac Optiq
- Cadillac Vistiq
- Chevrolet Bolt
- Chevrolet Blazer EV
- Chevrolet Equinox EV
- Chevrolet Silverado EV
- GMC Hummer EV Pickup
- GMC Hummer EV SUV
- GMC Sierra EV
The 2027 GM EV lineup will feature native NACS ports across Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC.
Customers with native NACS vehicles can still use Level 1 and Level 2 charging with the appropriate J1772 cable. They can also access CCS fast chargers with a NACS-to-CCS adapter.
Energy Pass adds another layer of convenience
GM is also simplifying the charging experience through its Energy Pass system, which is built into the MyChevrolet, MyCadillac, and MyGMC apps.
The service combines registration and payment for multiple charging networks. Currently supported networks include Tesla Supercharger, IONNA, Electrify America, and ChargePoint, while EVgo is planned for future support.
The goal is to reduce the number of apps and passwords drivers need when charging on the road.
For GM, the move to GM EV NACS charging represents a major step toward a more consistent EV ownership experience. By 2027, customers should have native access to the NACS network across the entire Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC electric vehicle lineup.
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