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Why do so many Tesla owners wrap their cars?

kavyboy

Active Member
Jan 13, 2016
1,172
1,970
Spring, TX
It's because we can't blow all our money on other things like forced induction and other airflow mods :D
Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking (although I don't know what those things are). Teslas are fun, but there isn't too much to tinker with. Gone are the days of driving under a strong oak tree branch and lifting the engine out... few ways to feed our inner Goober Pyle.
 

hcdavis3

HCD3
Mar 3, 2019
1,814
1,058
02571
Because there are so few factory colors to choose from. I picked blue, which I rarely see, when compared to the "free white", then gray, then black, then red, followed by blue, then silver. Not saying blue is some rare color like silver, I'm just thinking of all the cars I see regularly, I can only think of seeing a handful of blue Model 3s in last year. I would guess white is probably more popular than all the other colors combined, around me.

Soft paint is also a Tesla thing.
Mine is blue. Only see a few other blue cars in my travels.
 

brkaus

Well-Known Member
Jul 8, 2014
7,633
6,162
Austin, TX
Why do tech geeks put led lighting in their computer cases? One will never know - but they want it and can pay for it - so why not?
 

NXN-P3D

Member
Jul 30, 2020
64
81
California
Because there are hundreds of thousands same looking teslas with the same 4 boring (and thin) colors. With wraps, there are hundreds of unique options and more or less, you protect the paint - at least from UV and some minor scratches. If you want to change it - peel and put another one. Also, hard to get a good matte look with paint for similar price.
 

bpobill

Member
Feb 2, 2018
284
157
USA
I've noticed that compared to owners on other forums I follow (BMW, Porsche, Corvette), Tesla owners are far more likely to wrap their cars in a different color. Is it because Tesla only offers 5 colors as opposed up to a dozen or more for some of the other manufacturers? Or is it because there are so many on the road that owners want their cars to be different?


Because there’s no engine and transmission mods so owners get bored quickly. Tesla owners love throwing too much money on silly mods. Wraps, ppf, ceramic coating. Not that the mods are bad, but the prices paid that I see are insane. They are paying a Tesla tax.
 

LiveSai

Member
Feb 12, 2021
17
9
California
easy to change the color if you don't like it. plus if some colors cost a lot more then wraps so wraps can be budget friendly looking at the color flips paint can cost like 30k for the job
 

Mr X

Future Martian
Jan 18, 2013
2,079
1,480
Simi Valley, CA
Because

gWBlJ1M.jpg
 
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variable

Member
Dec 16, 2020
19
27
Chicago, IL
+1 on the rubbish Tesla paint job (which seems to be partially dependent on how rushed they built your car -- in my case, it seems pretty rushed based on all the issues I've had so far).

The paint will chip and scratch easier than most any other car, including ultra cheap cars, you may own. I've had mine for <2000 miles (Dec 2020 pickup for 2021 model 3) and it already has primer color scratches that didn't show up until I had it detailed. Sure, might have been the detail shop, but I don't know and would doubt they used something that could cause these if they are well reviewed (which they are).

I'm getting mine XPEL and PPFed in a week or so and wish I had when I first got it. It's much easier to protect the paint that is there then to touch it up after it's been scratched. This also might be why people just get "free white" and wrap it.

Also, there is a class action lawsuit in Quebec right now and a Facebook page devoted to making it international based on the number of customers with bad paint that were given the cold shoulder by Tesla. So it's not a surprise people would just want to do a wrap. Heck, five years down the road after the life of my XPEL is up I might consider it assuming the car is still drivable (let's not talk about being on a new set of HVAC sensors as well as a new compressor in < 2000 miles already). You basically sneeze at the paint and it scratches down to the primer.

Some photos for those who are silly like me and NOT thinking about getting some kind of paint protection off the lot. <2000 miles of easy driving friends.
PXL_20210304_014637749.jpg
PXL_20210304_150257397.jpg
PXL_20210304_150317943.jpg
PXL_20210305_012456750.jpg


I would also add that if you do get your Tesla detailed at any point, make sure it's a shop that has a track record with them. If the paint / clear coat is softer than most, it's possible they could make things look worse.
 

T3SLAROD

Member
May 14, 2019
559
487
SoCal
Lack of available paint colors

To stand out

Part of the Mod “Stages” since you really can’t do anything performance (Battery) wise
 

cbutters

Member
Jan 25, 2017
334
465
Utah
I think it is because many Tesla owners are actually conservative spenders; who are spending way more than they ever would for any other car, They spent 50k+ on a Tesla, when normally they just drive used honda civics or mazdas, or cheap hybrids, but just because they are geeks or enjoy the technology, and want a full electric car; they are spending way more than they normally would; and consider it an investment and want to protect it as much as possible. I know I'm in that camp. I never really would be the type to buy a fancy sportscar, and had never spent more than ~20K for a car before my Model 3. But because I love the tech, I went all in on a P3D+, and I wanted to make sure it lasts 10+ years; which is why I did the PPF wrap... I'm so cheap I studied up on film application techniques and I did the wrap myself and even my own window tint as well.
 

Kevy Baby

Dis-Member
Aug 11, 2019
1,752
1,705
Brea, CA
It's trendy.

Vanity and narcissism
Why are you so negative? So you don't want to do it. I haven't (and won't) do any exterior visual modifications, but that is my choice (all extra money I've spent has been for my benefit while driving the car), but I do not disparage those who chose to do so. I think almost all the modifications I've seen (wraps, rims, lowering, etc.) have been cool to look at.

Why disparage others?
 
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