The BMW iX was just revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in high-horsepower M60 flavor, and it's a seriously impressive machine. With 610 horsepower, it makes more than even the mighty BMW M8, and that car has a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 while this one is powered exclusively by the flow of electrons.

Electricity can do loads more cool things than just make you go fast though. Last year, we heard a rumor that BMW would be showing off color-changing body panels at the Las Vegas technology expo, and now we're seeing it in action for the first time. Check out the clip below to see it working.

When we first reported on the rumored technology, we were told that BMW promised that it would change the color of the car "with the touch of a button," and it really does appear to be that easy to do it. Interestingly, we note that the charging port cover does not change color, but this makes sense. The technology likely works by passing an electric current through each panel, and the charging flap is effectively disconnected from the rest of the car as it is connected by a hinge that is usually surrounded by plastic and rubber. It's still a novel idea, and there's more to see if you take a closer look.

As the iX reverses and changes color, changing light shows us that a latticework of (presumably) transistors. If you know the basics of such systems, you'll know that transistors are made of semiconductor material. Tech like this could be difficult to bring to market unless the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage improves soon, but it'll likely be some time before we get to see this tech on a production car, regardless of supply chain issues.

In the meantime, there are plenty of exciting colors for BMW buyers to choose from. The only issue is that you have to commit to a single one for the duration of your ownership, but one day soon, such shackles will be loosened.