Word on the street is Tesla will begin offering vehicle wraps from its service locations. The stock Tesla color palette isn’t to your exquisite tastes? Then fork over $8,000 for the privilege of having a (presumably) factory-backed vinyl wrap. (Customers can also opt for clear protection film at a more affordable $5,000.) My poor maths says that’s over 20% of the purchase price of a Tesla Model 3. I suspect there won’t be much takers in that price category. A Tesla Model S Plaid optioned out into the six-figures? That’s far more reasonable.
I once had paint protection film done to the entire front half of my Subaru Impreza WRX STI. The not-even-the-whole-car wrap cost $2,300 in 2013 money (That’s $3,000 in today’s money). I kind of immediately regret getting that done. My WRX STI was white, and that color really shows a subtle yet noticeable difference between the wrapped surface and virgin paint. The car never looked cohesive front to rear. For a light-colored car, the ideal way to do paint protection film is to wrap the entire car. I didn’t - and still do not - have that kind of money.
What truly is worth the money - in the world of paint preserving products - is ceramic coating. For those unfamiliar: think of it as paint wax that lasts for many years. Road grime and droppings from the sky (be they avian or industrial) have a difficult time sticking to ceramic-coated paint surfaces. Therefore it drastically reduces car washing labor. My BMW M2 has ceramic coating done, and after a 900 mile road trip, I simply hosed off the grime at a local self-serve car wash. Afterwards the car looked as if it never left on a lengthy journey.
Obviously, the money be damned thing to do is to wrap the entire car in protective film, then ceramic coat on top of that. If I had that done to the M2, I would never hand-wash it again. Taking it to the spray wash periodically will be more than enough to keep it clean and shiny. But, if you’re like me and can only afford one of those options, I highly suggest going with ceramic coating. Time is money, friends.
In German.