Manufacturers who make and sell cars know that the color of a car is really important. Toyota wants to make cars that can change color, like chameleons, using heat and light.
Toyota has been working on this for two years. They recently applied for a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Here’s how it works: when the car is made, it will have one color. But it will also have a special color-changing material in the paint. At a Toyota dealership or facility with the right equipment, the color can be changed.
They can use big panels or a movable panel to heat the paint first. Then they shine specific kinds of light on it. This makes the molecules in the paint change so the color looks different. The car also has temperature sensors to make sure everything is done right.
So, even if you drive your car in a really hot place like Death Valley, the color won’t change unexpectedly.
BMW also showed a color-changing concept at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2022. They used a technology called E Ink, similar to what’s used in e-readers. With E Ink, the car can change color by sending an electric current through it. This changes the color from white to gray to black. You can control the color with an app on your phone. This concept can show up to 32 colors on different parts of the car.
Right now, these color-changing cars are just ideas. They’re not ready to be sold in stores yet. But maybe having a hot pink Camry wouldn’t be so bad!
