- Continental’s E Ink screens replace traditional trim with endless design options for personalization.
- The displays are energy-efficient using power only when switching images, ideal for EVs.
- The supplier believes believes the displays appeal to Gen Z who enjoy showcasing their personality digitally.
Continental has used CES to introduce their “Emotional Cockpit,” which hints at the future of automotive interior design. While it incorporates a handful of developments, one of the coolest is an E Ink Prism display that spans the entire width of the dashboard.
While E Ink displays have typically been limited to e-readers, Continental’s concept has been equipped with a screen that measures 4.2 feet (1.3 meter) long and 1.6 inches tall (4 cm). It effectively replaces traditional dashboard trim with a full-width display.
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While pillar-to-pillar displays are nothing new, this screen is all about design and personalization. As such, customers could choose from an assortment of designs to reflect their personal tastes and preferences.
Like most e-readers, the display is limited to showing black and gray. Continental says this results in a “striking, minimalist aesthetic in an otherwise colorful world.” However, in the future, color E Ink displays are possible.
While E Ink has its limitations, there are also significant advantages – especially for use in electric vehicles. As the company explained, they only consume power for a “brief moment when switching from one image to the next.” This means that even when the car is parked or shut off, the content on the screen will remain visible. Continental also noted they “reflect light like real paper,” which “means they do not need to be illuminated by light sources placed behind the screen like conventional displays.”
The idea is interesting and it’s expected to appeal to young consumers. As Continental’s Pavel Prouza explained, “Generation Z, for example, represents a new generation of customers who want to express their individuality and showcase their personality, especially through digital media. With our ‘Emotional Cockpit’ and the adaptation of energy-saving e-reader technology, we are offering innovative options to personalize the vehicle cockpit in line with new customer expectations.”
Continental isn’t just limiting E Ink displays to the interior as their Vehicle Experience Demo Car has an exterior screen mounted on the B-pillar. It can show important information such as the current charge level for EVs.
