Tesla Offering Seven New Colors, Factory Wraps

Tesla is adding seven new colors for Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in the United States. However, it’s not new paint you’ll be getting. The automaker has instead decided to utilize urethane-based wraps similar to vinyl wraps available on via aftermarket companies. While this is a convenient way for the automaker to offer new colors without having to upgrade factory paint booths, Tesla is asking quite a bit of money for these wraps.

Depending on the complexity of your vehicle’s body shape, its overall size, the skill of the installer, and what materials will be used, wraps can cost anywhere between $1,000 and $7,000. While exotic models typically incur even higher prices, it’s rare to see most normal jobs go beyond $4,000 because you’re now paying roughly the same price as you might for a custom paint job.

But Tesla’s wraps cost either $7,500 or $8,000, depending on the color, including installation at a participating Tesla service center. There’s also a clear wrap for $5,000 that’s just there to protect the vehicle’s natural paint finish. While available in gloss or satin, it does not include the door jambs like the full-color wrap does.

The wraps are definitely expensive when you consider the alternatives. However, they’re also supposed to be thicker and offer superior protection vs standard vinyl wraps. Tesla called the option a “self-healing urethane-based film [that] protects the paint beneath from chips, scratches and swirling.”

Considering the brand’s track record for paint quality, this probably isn’t the worst idea. We’ve already seen Tesla testing the Cybertruck in a slew of different wraps. Some of this was obligatory camouflage designed to mask exterior changes ahead of production. But the brand also seems keen to bestow the pickup with some wild styles and has hinted that there might be factory wrap options after its launch. For now, it’ll just be the Model 3 and Model Y getting the special treatment.

Available colors include Satin Ceramic White, Slip Grey, and Satin Stealth Black ($7,500) or Glacier Blue, Forest Green, Satin Rose Gold, and Crimson Red ($8,000).

Those interested in pursuing the new colors can utilize the Tesla app or simply head over to its online store and mess around with the new configurations. It also has a FAQ specifically for the wraps. The program presently includes just two centers located in West Covina and Carlsbad, California. But it seems highly likely that the company will begin expanding operations if there’s any interest from the public.

Based on how limited Tesla's paint options have been in the past, we’re expecting a healthy amount of business here. But it will ultimately depend on how much better Tesla’s wraps are than what’s available elsewhere and exactly how much customers are willing to give for a factory option that can probably be done more cheaply elsewhere.

[Image: Tesla]

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