At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this year, BMW unveiled the i Vision Dee, a mid-size sedan concept that gives a preview of the company’s upcoming Neue Klasse of electric vehicles (EVs). The first of these EVs, a 3 Series-sized electric sedan, is set to go into production in 2025.
The i Vision Dee, whose name stands for “Digital Emotional Experience,” has a pared-down design that focuses attention on the digital experience and the BMW brand’s DNA. The exterior features a classic three-box sedan design and a reimagined BMW kidney grille, as well as twin circular headlights and a Hofmeister kink.
The car also has “phygital” (physical and digital) icons that replace analog elements. The i Vision Dee is equipped with full-color E Ink technology, which allows it to present its exterior in up to 32 colors or a combination of colors through the use of an ePaper film that covers the entire body and is divided into 240 individually controlled E Ink segments. This technology is an evolution of the black-and-white BMW iX Flow Featuring E Ink that was unveiled at CES 2022.
Inside the i Vision Dee, BMW has incorporated minimalism and digitalization, using as few materials, displays, and operating controls as possible to ensure that nothing detracts from the digital experience. The car features an unconventional steering wheel with a central vertical spoke and touch points that come to life when the driver’s thumb approaches or touches them.
These touch points control the content displayed on the windscreen and, along with the Head-Up Display, promote the principle of “hands on the wheel, eyes on the road.” The Head-Up Display extends across the full width of the windscreen and will also be featured in the Neue Klasse models starting in 2025. The windscreen becomes a display only when activated, showcasing the potential of projection technology.
BMW has also included the Mixed Reality Slider, a central operating control that works with the Head-Up Display to allow the driver to decide how much digital content they want to see on the windscreen using shy-tech sensors on the instrument panel. It is worth noting that the i Vision Dee does not have a large screen on the dashboard.
The BMW i Vision Dee offers a personalized welcome scenario that combines graphical elements, light and sound effects. Its headlights and closed kidney grille form a common icon on a uniform surface, allowing the vehicle to display various facial expressions. According to BMW, the i Vision Dee “can talk to people and, at the same time, express moods such as joy, astonishment or approval visually.” It can also project an image of the driver’s avatar onto the side window to further personalize the welcome scenario.
The car’s windows can be dimmed to gradually fade out reality, allowing passengers to experience mixed reality in an immersive way without requiring any additional tools. The five-step selection ranges from analog to driving-related information, to the contents of the communications system, to augmented-reality projection, and to virtual worlds. Unfortunately, no information is provided about the i Vision Dee’s powertrain, but BMW says it will provide more insights and glimpses of the Neue Klasse vehicle concept throughout the year.
