Is Tesla's $7,500 Wrap a Fair Price? We Compare to Find Out

• Tesla will charge customers $5,000-$8,000 for wraps of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
• Some shops charge similar money, but with far more options.
• Tesla has not specified where buyers can have their wraps installed.

Tesla recently added a new page to its website, advertising the sale of wraps for the 2023 Model 3 and Model Y. A clear paint-protection film will run buyers $5,000, while pricing on colored wraps ranges from $7,500 to $8,000 depending on the car and color. A total of seven colors will be offered on both the 3 and the Y.

Buyers can choose from Glacier Blue, Forest Green, Satin Rose Gold, Slip Grey, Satin Ceramic White, Satin Ceramic Black or Crimson Red. Tesla says it uses “self-healing urethane-based film” and that the wrap is apparently more “environmentally friendly” than traditional vinyl wraps. Most importantly, the cost of installation means that your doorjambs are covered too.

Tesla’s site doesn’t specify where exactly you can have these films installed, but it seems like only select service centers will offer the service, with the automaker naming two in West Covina and Carlsbad —both of which are in California.

However, $5,000-plus might seem like a lot for vinyl wrapping, so we reached out to a local shop for quotes to see just how fair, or unfair, Tesla’s pricing is. We also inquired about some of the environmental claims made on Tesla’s website about the wraps. As the brand has no official media channels, Tesla could not be reached for comment on its own product.

The professional installers of paint protection products at SpeedEFX in the Denver area say that Tesla’s pricing is pretty fair. To install paint protection film (PPF) on a Model 3 and a Model Y, the shop would charge anywhere from $5,000 to $5,500. As for colored wraps, SpeedEFX says it would charge just about the same as Tesla, with some key differences. 

For starters, the shop says it’s uncommon for customers to want their doorjambs done — shops usually charge extra ($750 per door in this case) and most buyers don’t mind not having it done. Because Tesla is doing that, the shop told us the money Tesla is asking makes sense here. But without the doors done, a shop like SpeedEFX is likely to give you thousands of color options for around $3,500-$4,000.

We called another shop in Monrovia, California — a shop that's in closer proximity to the West Covina Tesla service center — to see if its pricing lined up with SpeedEFX's and Tesla's numbers. Our estimate for a Model Y came out to $6,000 for a PPF and between $4,500 and $5,200 for a color change without the doorjambs — prices vary based on the materials used and the color chosen. When asked about pricing with the doorjambs, our estimate came out to between $5,800 and $6,000. If you're considering wrapping your Tesla, it's best to look around in your area first to see if you can get a better deal than what Tesla is offering. You'll also likely have access to more color options and different material choices. But what about Tesla's environmental claims?

When asked about Tesla’s claims that the wrap is more environmentally friendly than others, SpeedEFX says that they’ve never heard of one supplier being greener than another. The vinyl wrap installer also says that consumers should be aware that “self-healing” doesn’t mean your wrap is now more Wolverine than plastic. Instead, the self-healing urethane films most shops use are able to protect and heal from light scratches, like those caused by a washcloth or microfiber towel, not from tree branches, errant car keys or the like. Unless Tesla offers a color you must have, it seems like going to an independent shop is the way to get the best deal.

Edmunds says

While it’s smart for Tesla to try to offer more customization in-house, we got the sense that customers should just head to their nearest reputable vinyl wrap shop instead. In some cases, these shops could be cheaper and they likely offer more color choices for the same money.