Tesla has just delivered the first Cybertrucks, and alongside the release of the new vehicle it has announced several accessories, including three different wraps for the Cybertruck’s unpainted stainless steel body.
Originally, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that “Cybertruck can have any color you want, so long as it’s nothing.”And in fact explicitly said that Tesla would not offer wraps, at least “at first,” but added that there are plenty of third-party installers who would be happy to install a wrap.
But as release came closer, we started to see cracks in that narrative. Tesla recently started installing its own wraps on Model 3 and Model Y, though they are quite pricey at a starting price of $7,500. This is due to Tesla’s use of more expensive PPF film, rather than cheaper vinyl film, because it is thicker, has a longer warranty, and better protects the paint underneath than vinyl does.
And then, earlier this month, we saw Tesla’s chief designer Franz von Holzhausen driving a matte black-wrapped Cybertruck in Santa Monica, which suggested that a product would be coming soon.
And sure enough, today Tesla updated its accessory site with satin black and white wraps for the Cybertruck available at a pricey $6,500, and a “cheaper” clear satin wrap for $5,000 (satin is a middle-ground between “gloss” and “matte” finishes).
These wraps, like the 3 and Y wrap, use thicker self-healing PPF film. Although, PPF might be kind of an odd choice, because PPF stands for “paint protection film” and, well, the Cybertruck does not have any paint to protect. But, it is thicker and lasts longer, and Tesla claims that it is “more environmentally friendly than traditional vinyl wraps” (we are not sure what the source or metric is for this claim – perhaps because it’s longer lasting?).
Tesla calls the white and black wraps “color paint film“, which is perhaps technically inaccurate since they are both monochrome and thus, in fact, are not actually colors. The clear wrap is called “satin clear paint film,” and seems to apply a satin sheen to an already-not-glossy vehicle body to begin with.
We don’t have a lot of details other than what’s listed above, because Tesla has not yet updated its wrap FAQ with any specific information about the Cybertruck. But we imagine that the wraps will work similarly to those of the 3 and Y, though apparently they are cheaper, perhaps due to lower complexity from the Cybertruck’s comparative lack of curved surfaces (even though the Cybertruck is a larger vehicle, and thus probably requires more material).
So far, these wraps can only be installed in two Tesla service centers – Carlsbad and West Covina, both in Southern California. Although we have noticed job postings for automotive film installers on Tesla’s job site, so this will likely come to other areas soon (right now, there are postings for Santa Clara, CA and Austin, Texas).
You can order the Color Paint Film or Satin Clear Paint Film on Tesla’s website, or through the Tesla app (if you happen to be one of the ten lucky customers who got their Cybertrucks today).
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