The invention relates to an electrochromic element comprising two substrates having electrically conductive insides, a layered operating electrode which comprises a metal complex compound and which is capable of entering into a redox reaction where the transition from the oxidized to the reduced state is attended by an increase of color depth and the transition from the reduced to the oxidized state is attended by a corresponding weakening of color, an electrolyte layer in the form of a transparent, flexible film, and a counterelectrode[ATI(D1] which is capable of intercalating mobile cations of the electrolyte material and/or of entering into a redox reaction in which when the material of the second electrode changes from the oxidized to the reduced state it exhibits no increase of color depth in the wavelength region of the increase of color depth of the metal complex compound and preferably is not subject to any increase of color depth at all, where the electrolyte layer comprises at least the following components: (a) a crosslinkable hybrid prepolymer, (b) a crosslinkable organic monomer or prepolymer, (c) a non-crosslinkable, thermoplastic organic polymer, and a dissociable salt whose inorganic cations can, in the presence of a charge difference between the operating electrode and the counterelectrode, move between the said electrodes. The electrochromic element is more particularly suitable as constituent of automobile glazing systems.