Wrapping Your Tesla
Teslas are beautiful vehicles, from their sleek designs to their impressive capabilities. When you first purchase or lease your Tesla, the limited color options may surprise you. Most Tesla models only come in the traditional colors:
- Pearl White
- Solid Black
- Midnight Silver
- Deep Blue
- Red
When you purchase your Tesla, you want to stand out amongst the others you see on the street. If you only have five colors to choose from, you will more than likely find another Tesla owner with the same vehicle.
Wrapping your Tesla allows you to customize your vehicle how you want and makes your vehicle personal to you. You'll be sure to stand out amongst the sea of vehicles.
If customization options don't matter to you, picture this. You drive out of the dealership with your brand new Tesla after waiting months for it to be ready. You spent a substantial amount of money to build the Tesla you've always wanted, but as your drive home, a low-hanging tree branch or a rock scratches your exterior.
Not only will wrapping your Tesla give it more personality, but it will also offer better protection against accidents and weather.
What Is Vinyl Wrapping?
If you've never heard of wrapping before, you might be wondering what exactly is it. Vinyl wrapping is similar to applying wallpaper in your home but for your car. You take your existing vehicle and cover it with the wrap. Vinyl wrapping has an adhesive on one side that sticks to your vehicle and the pattern on the other. The adhesive is strong enough to adhere to your vehicle without coming off, but you can also take the wrap off with ease. Most wrappings are made from PVC.
Why Vinyl Wrap Your Tesla?
As you may have suspected, vinyl wrapping is the perfect way to customize your Tesla and offer it more protection against the elements. While these are both good reasons, you might still be wondering why exactly you should wrap your Tesla.
Put simply, Tesla paint is not the most durable paint on the market. Tesla paints each of their vehicles with a soft paint that is easily damaged. Wraps or paint protectors ensure that most things do not damage the original paint job. Unless something damages the wrap and tears through it to the paint underneath, your original paint should be untouched.
In theory, you can apply vinyl wraps over your vehicles at any time, but you should consider doing it before too much damage has accumulated on the outside of the vehicle. Wraps can easily hide small, existing scratches, but any serious damage will be more difficult to conceal. If you decide to wrap your Tesla, you should either do it as soon as you can or make any necessary repairs to the bodywork and then apply the wrap as soon as possible.
Benefits of Wrapping Your Tesla
Benefits of Wrapping Your Tesla
Vinyl wrapping your Tesla offers the best protection and customization options for the exterior of your Tesla, but those aren't the only benefits of vinyl wrapping.
- Minimal downtime
- Affordable pricing
- Completely customizable
- Exterior protection
- Removable
Minimal Downtime
When it comes to putting on a wrap, the average time can take anywhere from two to seven days depending on the complexity of the wrap. You or professionals will spend most of that time preparing the Tesla for coverage. To provide the best possible seal, they will most likely remove badges or any other exterior accessories that are not part of the wrap.
Completely removing your existing paint job and putting on a fresh coat of something new can take days or weeks to completely cure. By the time you finish one paint job, you could have put on a wrap, changed your mind and replaced it with a new wrap. Since wraps are already the designated color, you don't have to waste time waiting for them to dry.
The bigger the project the longer the time, but when compared to a paint job of equal size, the wrap is the faster choice.
Affordable Pricing
Vinyl wraps are surprisingly cheaper than your average custom paint job. For a high-quality custom paint job, you can expect to pay anywhere between $5,000 - $10,000. A vinyl wrap will cost between $1000 - $4000.
Completely Customizable
Vinyl wraps provide the most customization options for your vehicle. You can give your Tesla a polka-dot appearance, stripes or a solid color. The options are limitless. Paint jobs can offer similar patterns and styles, but you or the artist will spend more time and money achieving the same results when a wrap comes ready to apply.
When choosing your Tesla wrap options, you will have to consider whether you want any of the following:
- Colors
- Images
- Patterns
- Messages
- Type
The type of wrap refers to the finish that accompanies the appearance. The most common finishes to choose from are:
Exterior Protection
As previously mentioned, wraps provide your Tesla with much-needed protection against small accidents, scratches and weather issues. Wraps keep the original paint job and the exterior finish of the Tesla in pristine condition as long as no serious accident or scratch occurs.
If you live in an area where the weather is sunny or in another area where it is always rainy, the wrap will protect your Tesla from any fading or rusting that might occur over time.
Removable
Wraps are 100% removable as long as you follow the removing instructions completely. This characteristic means you can safely and easily customize your Tesla as many times as you want without having to worry about buffing out the old paint to apply the new coat.
The removability also means that your wrap will come off clean and without damaging the paint underneath. You can think of a wrap as wallpaper for your vehicle or as one big sticker that peels off with ease. Being able to remove your wrapping is a huge reassurance for people who wish to lease their vehicle.
Leasing or Buying
Whether you're leasing or buying your Tesla, vinyl wrapping is always a great option. No matter which option you agree upon with your dealership, the vinyl wrapping will keep your Tesla safe as well as provide all of the other benefits listed above.
With leasing, you might be hesitant to apply the wrap as it alters the state of the vehicle. Yes and no. On the surface, the wrap does change the appearance of the vehicle drastically, but because they are easy to remove, you can remove the wrap before turning in your Tesla to the dealership.
Most leases run between two to three years, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the benefits of your wrapped Tesla and not worry about any repercussions from it. Plus, the wrap will give you extra protection, so you don't have to worry about repairing small scratches or other vehicle damage.
In short, apply the wrap as soon as you can for a leased vehicle and remove it before returning the vehicle to the dealership. Be sure to follow the removal instructions and you can reap the benefits of vinyl wrapping your Tesla.
Parts You can Wrap
For the most part, you should be able to wrap almost any part of your Tesla that has existing paint on it. You can wrap the:
Always check with the company to see where they will apply the wrap. Prices and availability vary with some parts.
Do It Yourself
To save you several thousand dollars, you can attempt to apply the wrap yourself. While the task is not overly difficult, it is extremely time-consuming, which is why the cost for installation is higher. On your own, you can expect a full vehicle wrap to take about 30+ hours to complete.
This estimate does not include the actual time it takes to fully learn what you are doing. If you install the pieces incorrectly, the fault falls on you and you are now out of $1,000.
If you truly believe that you are up to the task and can install the wrap without damaging it and installing it incorrectly, then feel free to give it a shot.
However, if you don't feel completely confident, it's advisable that you spend the extra money and have professionals who know what they are doing install the wrap for you. It will look much better, and they may even offer added benefits. You should seek out a reputable shop first before deciding to do it on your own.
Wraps vs Paint Protection Film
As you do your research to find the right wrap for you, you might come across the terms paint protection, paint protection film or PPF. These three terms mean the same thing, but they do contrast with vinyl wraps.
What is PPF?
Paint protection film is similar to a vinyl wrap. Rather than a colored wrap, PPF is a clear plastic sheeting that you place over your existing paint job. You will still be able to see the original paint with added protection.
Cost
On average, Tesla PPF tends to run almost double the price of vinyl wrapping. Vinyl wrapping can cost you between $1,000 - $4,000 depending on the extent of the wrapping. PPF can cost you anywhere from $5,000 - $8,000. You may be able to find some shops that offer lower prices for only covering certain parts of the vehicle
Durability and Quality
In terms of durability, PPF offers slightly better protection since it is thicker than a vinyl wrap. Vinyl wraps usually average a minimal thickness of 2 mm, and PPF average a thickness of 6 mm to 10 mm. The added thickness means that PPF can withstand bigger and deeper scratches.
Probably the biggest difference between vinyl wrapping and PPF is PPF's ability to "heal" itself. Minor scratches will go away in the heat.
Customization Options
Vinyl wraps offer the only option for customization. PPF is a clear coating, so unless you customize your current exterior paint, you will still have the same-looking vehicle as before. Vinyl wrapping gives you an assortment of options to choose from.
Final Thoughts and Tips
Vinyl wrapping is great for all Tesla vehicles. It is the best and safest method to keep your Tesla in pristine condition without fear of most external damages. You can wrap practically any Tesla model you want.
All of these models will benefit from a vinyl wrap.
Some other quick tips to consider are:
- Having a backup ride
- Check DMV requirements
- Proper cleaning and maintenance
- Vinyl wraps don't fix problems
Need a Ride
When you do decide to take your vehicle in, be sure to have a backup ride or vehicle until the process has finished. Remember, wrapping can take several days to finish. You don't want to be stuck without a working vehicle until then.
DMV Requirements
Before or after a wrapping, be sure to check your state's DMV laws to know if you need to inform the DMV of your vehicle altercation. Don't forget about your insurance company as well.
Cleaning and Longevity
Most vinyl wrappings can last anywhere between five to seven years. Be aware that this estimate varies greatly based on the amount of care and upkeep you provide. If you don't take the proper precautions and treat the vinyl wrap poorly, it will not last as long. Fortunately, most manufacturers offer warranties that protect against peeling, discoloration and/or defects. Always check before buying.
Vinyl wraps are bound to become dirty just like any other paint job. While you might be tempted to clean your newly wrapped Tesla as if it had a regular paint job, refrain from these impulses. Vinyl wraps do require a bit more caution when cleaning.
You do not want to take your wrapped Tesla through an automatic car wash of any kind. The equipment can work its way into a seam and damage the wrap. Instead, you will want to use a waterless wash or hand wash problematic spots. It's best to wash the vehicle with a bucket and sponge.
One final tip with cleaning. If you notice a bug spot, bird poop or other gunk, do your best to remove it from the surface of your wrap as soon as possible. When left unattended for too long, these spots can stain the vinyl underneath.
Existing Damages
Always repair the body of your Tesla accordingly before applying the vinyl wrap. Small and minor scratches are fine, but any spots where paint is missing or rust is showing, repair first.
Rvinyl Has All the Tesla Wraps You Need
Once you make the initial decision of wanting to wrap your Tesla or adding paint protection to your Tesla, trust Rvinyl to provide you with the perfect wrap. We offer hundreds of different wraps in a wide assortment of colors, so you can customize your Tesla to match your personality.
If you would like to learn about some of the wraps we offer, or if you have any questions, contact us online, in person or through live chat and an expert will address all your wrapping needs.
Or, if you need help installing your current Rvinyl vinyl, follow these installation instructions.