As a proud owner of a Tesla or a Rivian, you might wonder how to make your vehicle stand out in the crowd. Customizing electric vehicles with vehicle wraps not only offers unique visual appeal, but also superior paint protection. This is a growing trend, with the U.S. automotive wrap film market size anticipated to reach $4.3 billion by 2028.
Do you have a customized color in mind for your new Tesla? Or a business you wish to promote on the exterior of your Rivian truck or SUV? Read on to find out how to customize your electric vehicle with XPEL paint protection film (PPF) and wraps to meet your needs.
What is XPEL Paint Protection Film?
XPEL Paint Protection File (PPF) is a clear, elastomeric polyurethane film that prevents damage from the environment, including chips from stones and light scratches. The film has a hydrophobic clear coat layer that allows for superior water repellency and increases your vehicle's exterior durability.
PPF is designed to stick to your car, so once applied, it will stay that way. With this technology, you can rest assured that your paint protection investment will not lift or delaminate. This keeps the surfaces of your car safe from contaminants.
There are three types of PPF to choose from, and you can choose the option that is best suited for your vehicle.
Ultimate Plus™ Paint Protection
Keep your vehicle's paint job looking as new as the day you purchased it with this protective layer. XPEL Ultimate Plus film has a high-gloss finish and excellent impact protection. Ward off paint chips before they even have a chance, while also protecting your car from bird droppings, bug acid, gravel kick-up, and more.
Stealth™ Paint Protection
Does your vehicle have a flat factory finish that you wish to protect? XPEL Stealth film is designed with a finish that is smooth as satin, but will all of the same protection benefits that Ultimate Plus film offers.
Flat finishes are often difficult to keep up or repair because of the texture of matte clear coats. Prone to take on contaminants more easily because of this texture, it requires more special attention. Whether your vehicle is matte, magno, frozen, or frosted, Stealth film keeps it looking pristine.
Armor™ Paint Protection
XPEL Armor is a pebbled polymer film that has the appearance of a spray-on bed liner. It performs like one as well, protecting against strikes from gravel, as well as other scrapes and scratches. Apply it to bumpers, tailgate areas, kick plates, or other high-wear locations.
What Are Vehicle Wraps?
Car wrapping involves covering a car in a durable vinyl film, which is designed to change the look of a car without the need to pay for a full respray. Vehicle wrap designs include a change of color, an addition of a logo or other design, or even a change of texture.
Experienced wrap service providers can offer design services to come up with a specific, custom look for your specific vehicle.
Benefits of Customizing Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles are becoming more popular and, as a result, there are many more of them on the road. Because they are relatively new to the auto market, models, colors, and designs are more limited than what you might find in the broader inventory of cars.
Teslas and Rivians are especially desirable and, as more people make the switch to electric, we are going to see more of them driving around.
A Standout Appearance
Customizing your Tesla or Rivian is a way for you to truly make your electric vehicle your own. Color choices are often limited when it comes to purchasing a vehicle, either because of low inventory or just because of a limited color palette. Using vehicle wraps can change the color to anything you desire.
When it comes to custom paint colors, people have even matched a favorite lipstick color. The possibilities are endless. There is even vinyl that mimics other materials, such as stainless steel, carbon fiber, and leather.
And you do not need to worry about covering a darker-colored car with a lighter wrap. High-quality vehicle wraps ensure the original paint will not show through the vinyl.
Advertising Opportunity
Do you own a business? Wrapping your vehicle with a company logo is an excellent way to advertise and bring in more business. In the U.S., there are 30,000–70,000 vehicle wrap views on a daily basis. This means a lot of exposure for your company.
Vehicle wraps are most often thought of as something bigger businesses with larger vehicle fleets use. However, advertising a small business can bring a lot of exposure to your brand and logo in your target area.
Added Durability and Longevity
Purchasing an electric car is an investment that you want to keep up and take care of for years to come. Research shows that debris on roadways contributed to an estimated 25,000 vehicle crashes in one year. This is not only an obvious safety hazard, but also can spell damage for your car or truck.
Customizing your automobile with vehicle wrap designs or installing PPF automatically adds a high level of protection from debris on roadways. PPF is also self-healing, meaning that the elastomeric polyurethane topcoat allows for light scratches and swirl marks to “heal” with a simple and light heat application.
These wraps and films also protect vehicles from harsh weather, protecting your paint job from fading and discoloring. This type of paint protection will keep tree sap and grime from staining the paint as well.
Adding paint protection to your vehicle is most definitely an investment. And XPEL paint protection products are backed by a comprehensive 10-year warranty plan, which is the longest in the industry. XPEL's factory warranty covers hazing, cracking, yellowing, peeling, and discoloration.
This ensures that your car not only looks amazing, but will remain protected for years to come.
Design How-To
When working with a designer to create a custom color or specific vehicle wrap design, you must take several steps to achieve your desired result.
Template Creation
First, you must acquire an accurate template of your vehicle model. This will allow the designer to create a design that is scaled and ready for the printer. Providing high-quality photos is helpful, as well as letting the designer know of any irregularities on your specific vehicle.
Creative Process
Next, it is time to let the creative juices flow. Is there a specific color, pattern, or palette that you have in mind? If you are advertising a business, try to keep the design simple and easy to read.
When you are driving down the road, potential customers will have mere moments to capture the information you display.
Keeping it simple does not mean keeping it dull, however. Vehicle wrap design is meant to get noticed, so do not be afraid of going bright and bold with your colors. Avoid using pastel colors that might not show up as well in bright sunlight.
You also do not need to worry about growing tired of the design you choose. The vinyl material is removable, so you can change it at any point.
Design Creation
The designer will then mock up a design and present it to you for your approval. Designers will often put the design on an image of the vehicle to help give you an idea of how the wrap will flow over the contours of your vehicle. Although it is not a perfect representation of how it will actually look on the car, it is close enough to let you make informed decisions.
Printing and Application
From there, vehicle wrap print files are created, and the files are sent to the printer. Once printed, the wrap is expertly applied, and your vehicle's transformation is complete.
Get to Wrapping and Protecting
You love your electric car. Let it love you back and become an outward expression of your personality. Whether you find the perfect custom color or a funky pattern that suits your style, allow your car to shine on the roadways with a customization package you love.
The car you love is also an investment. XPEL PPF and custom wraps will protect the exterior of your Rivian or Tesla for years to come. Extending the life of your paint job with this paint protection will extend the worth of your vehicle.
Customizing electric vehicles with vehicle wraps and the benefit of paint protection will help you make a striking impression on the roadways. Get a quote today to get started.