BMW has unveiled a new concept sedan dubbed as the i Vision Dee. This car is the German carmaker’s vision for the future digital experience. Here, the name Dee stands for ‘Digital Emotional Experience’. The car was unveiled at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, USA.
As per BMW, the future of the automobile lies in the digital functions that will go far beyond the level of voice control. There will be a strong bond between the users and their cars going forward. This means that carmakers will have to come out with innovative technologies that will meet the requirements of the future customer.
From 2025, BMW will be offering this digital innovation in the models of the Neue Klasse. This i Vision Dee just offers a glimpse into what could be the future.
Not just on the inside, but also on the outside, the car is able to do a lot of things. Some of these include the full-width head-up display, colour-changing technology not just on the inside, but also outside – upto 32 colours, and more.
Along with the head-up display, this is one of the digital highlights of the car. Using shy-tech sensors along the instrument panel, drivers are able to customise on how much digital content they want to see on the HUD. It gets a 5-step integration ranging from analogue, driving information, contents of communications system, augmented-reality projection and driving-related info.
From 2025, this technology will be offered in all the Neue Klasse models. In the BMW i Vision Dee, the information can be projected across the entire windscreen. This allows a large amount of information to be displayed. BMW has also shown how this can be used in the future.
Not just inside the car, but also before you enter the vehicle, your digital experience starts. Users will be welcomed by the car using graphical elements, light and sounds. The headlights and the grille of the car form a phygital icon (combination of physical and digital) which allows the car to produce different facial expressions. The car can also display emotions like joy, astonishment or approval visually.
Showcased first on the BMW iX at the CES 2022, this time around BMW has unveiled a full-colour E ink technology. This will be used on the outer skin of the car which will allow the colour to be changed as per requirement of the driver. Upto 32 colours can be displayed. The car is divided into 240 E Ink segments, each controlled individually. Hence there are endless ways of patterns to be displayed on the car.
To keep focus on digital tech, the interior and exterior design has been kept simple. On the outside, the car gets a sedan’s 3-box design with BMW kidney grille, twin circular headlamps and others.
On the inside, the car gets use of reductive use of materials, operating controls and displays to ensure nothing distracts from the digital experience. The steering wheel gets a central vertical spoke with touchpoints that get activated when approached or touched by the thumb.
Also Read – BMW sold 11,981 cars & 7,282 two-wheelers in India in 2022.