While a sustainable future and enhanced interaction seem to be on the agenda of each car automaker, BMW is among those leading the initiative. At the CES 2023 tech event in Las Vegas, BMW unveiled a highly-futuristic concept model. It is dubbed the iVision Dee where Dee stands for Digital Emotional Experience. While many carmakers promise to bridge the gap between man and machine, it seems BMW is already there, as Dee is the first car to feature advanced AI that can make even the likes of Siri or Alexa look ancient.
“The Best Thing Since The Wheel Was Invented”
Those were some of the words BMW Chairman, Oliver Zipse, used when describing the futuristic concept car with intelligence at the CES 2023 tech event, held yesterday and today. The Digital Emotional Experience introduces a level of interaction far beyond voice commands, gesture controls, and current driver assists. Dee brings immersive experiences and augmented reality. Moreover, it comes with sophisticated software with AI, effectively giving the car a personality and allowing you to have a conversation with it.
It’s Just Two Years Away
At this time, BMW iVision Dee is a concept car, but Oliver Zipse says that all future BMW models from 2025 onwards will feature the features showcased on the iVision Dee. In 1962, BMW reinvented itself with its “Neue Klasse” (New Class) – a series of sedans and coupes produced by the Bavarian manufacturer between 1962 and 1977.
Now, the term is used again for the brand’s futuristic models that will arrive from 2025 onwards. Yes, you will be able to experience augmented realities and hold a conversation with your car in just two years from now. Neue Klasse will also be BMW’s first all-electric platform, since all of its EV models so far, have been based on existing models, originally powered by internal combustion engines.
Interactive Visuals
The interaction starts before you even get into the car. BMW iVision Dee comes with its own face. Smart, interactive graphics on the front fascia of the car resemble an animated face. The graphics react accordingly to the car’s vocal response and… mood if you will. A more emotional response will trigger more energetic graphics. We just hope it won’t have the ability to argue or animate fingers.
There is a factory set of animations, which is apparently, fairly comprehensive, and you can even program the car to get excited when it sees you. Good thing EVs don't need engine oil. Jokes aside, the car’s eyes can move and look in all directions just as a human would. To make the car seem even more alive, BMW has given Dee the ability to blink and wink. Additionally, dynamic graphics can be seen on the side of the car, underlining the windows. Those, however, are not as interactive as Dee’s “face”.
Mixed Reality Slider
BMW iVision Dee offers a five-level mixed reality slider. Aspects like immersion, augmented realities, information, entertainment, and more can be accessed and adjusted through swiping. There are five levels depending on how much information you want to see. Level 1 is limited to driver and navigation data, but it also shows you information about your surroundings, including obstacles and potential hazards, by marking them in red. You can even ask the car about a certain place.
Swiping all the way to the right, darkens the windows, and immerses you into augmented reality through projecting animations on your entire surroundings.This is the kind of feature you can only enjoy in a self-driving vehicle, which begs the question, is BMW just about getting there? We know that come 2025, BMW will achieve Level 3 autonomy through partnerships with Qualcomm and Arriver. A car would no longer need human input when it reaches Level 5 autonomy.
Advanced E Ink
BMW first introduced its color-shifting technology on the 2022 BMW iX Concept. While that car could only alter between black and white, the iVision Dee can alter between 32 different colors. The E Ink technology in BMW iVision Dee goes even further. The body panels are separated into 240 different sections, allowing you to mix multiple colors and set different themes like racing stripes for example. You can also go for animations or change the color and, more importantly, the size of the kidney grille.
Futurism Meets Nostalgic Design
BMW may have firmly stepped into the future on the technological front, but design-wise, the brand is looking toward its past. Given some of the current models, this is a very good thing. We recently talked about the latest spy shots of the BMW i5 Touring, which like the 2024 BMW 5 Series adopts a more neo-retro look. The iVision Dee follows a similar theme. Although futuristic, the traditional, three-box, sedan shape is apparent as is the influence of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The “kidney grille” harkens back to models like the E12, E21, and E30.
The two slanted LED strips that serve as the headlights are the modern interpretation of the quad, round headlights of the aforementioned Bavarians from a few decades ago. If the front fascia looks familiar, it's because it is largely shared with the BMW iVision Circular – a compact concept model that was made 100 percent recyclable, and introduced at the 2021 IAA Mobility Show in Munich.
A similar, neo-retro theme continues inside the cabin. The square steering wheel is an evolved design from the iVision Circular while the interior is minimalist, lacking any physical buttons or touchscreens. The seats and most of the interior, including the dashboard, are covered in the same material. The only physical interaction you have with the car, aside from the steering wheel, is the slider on the center console, which alters what is projected on the digital display and windshield.
The Impact
If EVs have changed what we call cars, the BMW iVision Dee completely changes the way we interact with it. Moreover, with AI as sophisticated as Dee’s, we reckon even non-car enthusiasts will see their car as more than a bunch of alloys, cables, and processors. While that augmented reality deal sounds like an epic acid trip, we fail to see any benefits from it in a car that is not yet capable of full autonomy.