Another Feature Request-Built In Wrap

[Watts Son]

How about not putting paint on cars and just putting an Expel type wrap on them ? Everyone seems to be dropping significant $$ on Expel etc. maybe Tesla can just wrap them for us or include the option at a much more reasonable price

 

[JPP]

Tesla used to offer a front end wrap as an option on the S. Several issues:

Applying a wrap over less than stellar paint is no prize (...and early Model S did not have the best paint jobs).
The crew applying the wrap/film at Tesla was not the best, either.

better to live it off, let the new owner inspect the finish, decide how they like it and how to protect it.

 

[Watts Son]

I'm talking about NO paint-factory wrap over aluminum. Owner can change colors as they wish. Scratch the car simply remove a panel of tape and replace.

 

[WannabeOwner]

How much does a factory-paint-job cost?

I paid about 4,000 GBP (so that would be a bit more in USD) for my full-wrap. If the paid cost, i.e. at point-of-sale price, is somewhere close to that it seems like a good idea. Presumably less so for a steel car which would need protection - although maybe that could be better provided by some means other than a coat of paint?

 

[HankLloydRight]

It takes what, about a day or more to fully wrap one car? That would seriously slow down production or significantly increase labor costs, or both.

 

[Watts Son]

Robots Hank, robots.

 

[andrewket]

If it can be automated, I like it.

1. Gives customers a lot more choice on color
2. It can be repaired less expensively in many cases
3. Subsequent owners can change the color to suit their needs

Unfortunately wraps today don't cover a few areas; door jambs, for example. I'm guessing the aluminum would still need some form of clearcoat.

 

[muleferg]

a friend of mine owned a Swift aircraft and was not painted. It was polished aluminum. It was beautiful.

 

[tomas]

Unfortunately wraps today don't cover a few areas; door jams, for example. I'm guessing the aluminum would still need some form of clearcoat.

Wrapping could be done pre-assembly by robots, meaning jambs and other tricky surfaces would be easy, and wrap could cover all corners and edges -- something notoriously difficult/expensive to do with aftermarket wrapping.

I love the idea, but suspect it's an all or none proposition (you don't automate wrapping and design production for it unless you can simultaneously eliminate painting), and Tesla does not need yet one more revolutionary thing to evangelize... probably also the reason they might do it.

 

[Watts Son]

I hereby claim the rights to this idea-call me Elon

 

[James Anders]

Perhaps a spray on "wrap". Even the best robots today would have a difficult time wrapping a car or panel. There are a lot of subtleties and nuances required.

 

[cstromme]

I think that's called paint.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Or Plastidip or Autoflex.

Two spray on/peel off paint alternatives, about half the cost of wraps and could be totally automated because it's applied exactly like paint.

See: Dipped my car: Autoflex Matte + ZTA Hypershift + Blueberry Juice

 

[Watts Son]

Wow-that's an amazing color !

 

[HankLloydRight]

Yeah, I'm super happy how it came out. It would take about 30 minutes to peel off and then it's ready for a new color. @FLDarren has done his car several times already.

 

[Watts Son]

I should have ordered the "free" black color and just gone to your guy

 

[James Anders]

I think that's called paint.

No, I'm thinking more like a plastidip spray coating.