Who needs a cool paint job when you can have color-changing paint? The new BMW iX M60 electric SUV showed up at the Consumer Electronics Show 2022 (CES) with a chameleon-like look to it. BMW hasn’t let on about all of the technology involved yet, but this could be a big deal for loud paint fans around the globe if it works right.

The color-changing BMW iX M60 electric SUV doesn’t even look real

CES is a big deal for those looking to make a big entrance. That’s probably why the color-changing paint on the BMW iX M60 electric SUV premiered there. Color-changing paint isn’t exactly new, as show cars have used shifting paint for years. That is a multi-dimensional paint color that changes depending on the light and angle. But this idea is different as it appears to allow the driver to change the paint color with the touch of a button.

The BMW iX electric SUV can be seen changing colors instantly in the viral videos going around. According to Business Wire, the paint uses something called E Ink. The BMW iX uses something called E Ink Prism, which makes the EV a “digital paper-wrapped concept car.” The E Ink Prism is a design film developed to offer a fully-customizable color or pattern.

“This gives the display a paint-like appearance and a natural visual experience. The electronic ink is made up of millions of tiny microcapsules that are filled with white and black pigments – the same ink pigments used in the printing industry today. These pigments can be moved up or down using an electric field in a controlled manner, thereby changing the appearance at the surface of the display,” Business Wire said.

The BMW iX M60 might be the first car to see color-changing paint

BMW says that digital experiences like this one won’t be “limited to displays in the future.” That means you might have a color-changing car in your driveway sometime in the future. The BMW featured here used a wrap that was developed specifically for the car.

At CES, BMW also premiered the new all-electric BMW iX M60 crossover. According to Edmunds, the dual-motor EV will get 532 hp and 749 lb-ft of torque. Using launch mode, that goes up to 610 hp and 811 lb-ft of torque. The M60 supposedly has a zero to 60 mph time of 3.6 seconds.

Put up against the likes of a Tesla Model X, and the BMW iX M60 still has a long way to go. The standard Model X has 670 hp, more than the M60 at face value. But if you take a look at the Model X Plaid, which offers about 1,000 hp and a zero to 60 mph time of 2.6 seconds. BMW chose the M60 to display this new color-changing paint – so it has to be special enough. The BMW iX xDrive40 and iX xDrive50 have around 300 miles of range, but the M60 is supposed to come in at 280 miles of range.

Electris SUVs are in, but can we get an electric wagon sometime soon?

The new iX line is terrific and all, but the electric vehicle market is definitely missing some wagon action. The iX is slated as an electric SUV, and the M60 is supposedly more of an SUV crossover, but a wagon would really take things up a notch. Perhaps the electric car style isn’t ready for a larger, heavier vehicle like a wagon, but the people are ready for an option.

An electric wagon BMW with a color-changing paint job would be a game-changer, if you will.