Las Vegas, Nevada — Volkswagen may be calling its paint job “camouflage,” but there is no doubt that attendees to CES in Las Vegas can’t take their eyes off a colour-changing concept model of the electric ID.7 sedan on display at this year’s show.
The German OEM calls the finish “smart camouflage,” claiming that this ID.7 uses “ unique technology and multi-layered paintwork to create light effects on parts of the vehicle,” effectively allowing for an entirely user-customized colour pattern on the sedan’s body.
The concept is coated in a cocktail of 40 layers of paint, some of which contain more conductive properties while others provide an insulating function, allowing for 22 areas on its body to be independently illuminated through the process of electroluminescence.
Volkswagen’s press release also notes that the concept ID.7’s paint can even be synchronized with a sound system in order to allow its colour to change in rhythm with music.
Company CEO, Thomas Schäfer says he expects the ID.7, along with nine other all-electric VW models, to be launched by 2026.
BMW showed off a very similar paint concept at last year’s CES as well, displaying a prototype iX that uses e-reader “E Ink” technology to create a finish that seamlessly shifts between dark and light shades.
There has been an increased demand on the part of drivers for more personalizable options on their vehicles over recent years, and thus far, it has largely been the two major German OEMs of BMW and VW in competition to outdo the other’s innovative paint technology.
What do the refinishers and painters out there think of OEM interest in these electrified paint technologies? Do you feel prepared for more complex paint? Let us know in the comments down below.
