BMW showcases colour-changing paint tech at CES 2022

BMW has brought paint tech to CES that looks like CGI in real life. The company debuted this innovative paint scheme on an all-electric iX, and videos of it have been showing up on Twitter. It shows the car's paint transitioning from gray to white and back again.

According to Twitter user Out of Spec Studios, the paint is reportedly temperature-sensitive, so the carmaker has a backup in case this iX gets too hot or cold. There is no word about whether BMW plans to offer this colour option to customers, but it is definitely one of the cooler things we've seen at the show so far.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone will find and unlock new cars from Audi, BMW, Ford, and Genesis

One of the more exciting functionality announcement from Samsung's Galaxy S21 line of smartphones is that they will be able to use Ultra Wide Band Bluetooth to find and unlock new vehicles from Audi, BMW, Ford and Genesis. Samsung is expanding its ecosystem by partnering with carmakers to add the convenience so smartphone owners can access and unlock upcoming vehicles.

“With precise distance calculation, Samsung’s UWB-enabled digital key sends short pulses between the mobile device and the paired car, unlocking the door once you reach it,” Samsung explained. “Without UWB, users will be able to use their compatible smartphones as a car key through NFC.” Models like the Galaxy S21 Plus, Galaxy S21 Ultra, and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra support UWB for finer and more accurate location tracking. Turning smartphones into digital key fobs can be very convenient since car owners can possibly share access to their vehicles without turning over their real keys. The feature is expected to roll out later this year pending some standardization.

Source: XDA Developers

BMW to offer fully electric versions of 5 Series, 7 Series, X1

BMW hopes to do its part to reduce its CO2 emissions, and part of that goal is introducing full-electric versions of its mainstream 5 Series, 7 Series, and X1 vehicles. These automobiles will be available with a full-electric, plug-in hybrid, and gas-only (plus diesel in Europe) with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The automaker said in a press release, "In ten years, the goal is to have a total of more than seven million electrified BMW Group vehicles on the roads—around two-thirds of them with a fully-electric drive train." BMW wants to have 25 electrified models by 2023, with half of these fully electric. By 2021, BMW plans to offer five pure EVs, including the BMW i3, Mini Cooper SE, BMW iX3, MBW iNext and the BMW i4. 

In line with the European Union rules of needing 37.5 percent lower emissions by 2030, BMW said, "The objective is to reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles by 40 percent per kilometre driven." Aside from introducing new fully electric cars, BMW is also planning to work with suppliers based on their carbon footprint, tying executive bonuses to emission reductions, and having plug-in hybrids automatically switch to an all-electric mode in cities.

Source: Engadget

BMW, Mercedes end self-driving car collaboration

Image courtesy of BMW and Mercedes

It looks like we won't be seeing what self-driving vehicle BMW and Mercedes could've developed together. The two automakers have called quits on their ongoing partnership to develop automated driving technology. BMW and Mercedes say the split is "mutual and amicable." They are open to renewing the partnership in the future.

According to a joint statement, the decision was reached after considering several factors. One is that developing a shared autonomous vehicle platform became a more complex and expensive undertaking than they expected. Another is the agreement delayed how quickly they can have joint discussions between their in-house experts as well as communicate with suppliers regarding product roadmaps.

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