Should You Apply Paint Protection or Ceramic Coating to Your Tesla Model 3
You’ve just bought yourself a Tesla model 3, and you paid the extra $1,000 to go with blue exterior paint.
You’ve bought a vehicle that’s received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, with top ratings in all crashworthiness and front crash prevention categories.
So, you understand the need to keep this beauty looking in pristine condition for as long as you own your car.
So today, we’re going to discuss whether you should apply paint protection film or ceramic coating to your Tesla Model 3.
PPF is a paint protection film manufactured by 3M or XPEL. PPF is self-healing, meaning that it can resist high impact and corrosion, healing itself before the damage reaches the vehicle.
The film protects cars like the Tesla Model 3 against acid rain, mineral deposits, bug residue, and chips from flying rocks. These hazards are absorbed into the film’s top layer of elastomeric polymers allowing it to change back to its natural shape. PPF also helps prevent fading and oxidization from the sun’s harmful rays.
Technology has come a long way since the days of protecting your hood and a front grill with an ugly black leather clear bra you would see in the 80s and 90s.
Even though they were the only available paint protection for your exterior paint at that time, car owners discovered when they removed their clear bra, the paint underneath was destroyed. The dirt underneath the clear bra had scratched and destroyed the exterior paint.
Plus, when you removed that clear bra, you would notice your car exterior paint was not only scratched but faded because of the UV rays.
Paint protection film today consists of a thin layer of urethane material that has a certain amount of elasticity, allowing it to be curved, stretched, and molded around corners and bends of any car, even a Tesla Model 3 car.
So, when you’re travelling from 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds, there will be no air drag from your ppf, and the adhesive will secure the film to your car.
PPF is perfectly suitable for protecting your vehicle from rock dings and chips. PPF is installed on the front bumper, hood, fender, and usually your mirrors, but you can apply paint protection film to the entire car if you so desire.
Tesla refers to applying paint protection film as a “no-brainer” because of the lifetime protection it provides against scratches and acts of vandalism.
A ceramic coating consists of a liquid polymer covering the exterior paint surface.
It chemically bonds to the original factory paint creating a hydrophobic surface that repels water. Car washing is made simpler, and stains come off with minimal wiping.
This added layer of protection is harder than the standard paint used on Tesla vehicles.
The high-gloss shiny finish needs to be reapplied every two to five years and is considerably cheaper than applying a paint protection film.
I want you to think of ceramic coating as a protective barrier for your car’s clear coat. Think of it as a temporary shell over your clear coat.
What a clear coat does is it helps give your car’s exterior paint more shine. It gives it more of a wet look to its paint.
Ceramic coating helps make a difference when it comes to washing your car. It makes the job easier as the ceramic coating helps repel dirt and water rolls off. No beads of water left behind to cause water spots.
That’s part of the attraction of applying a ceramic coating to your automobile.
Now begs the question: Do I have applied ceramic coating, ppf, or both?
That all depends on your personal preference.
Benefits
- Ceramic coating: will make your car look shiny, making your vehicle easier to wash.
- Paint protection film: ppf will protect your vehicle from rock dings and chips. Plus, the paint protection film is self-healing. If the film sustains a scratch, it will usually disappear when heat is applied to the damaged area.
If you were to choose one and only one option for protecting your paint, I would select ppf because it’s more functional than ceramic coating.
So, which one are you looking to get, or do you want to apply both?
The Tesla Model 3 you see in the image is fully polished and prepared for the application of XPEL Paint Protection film.
The owner chose our Gold Package which includes: –
- 4 Layers of Ceramic Pro 9H
- 1 Extra Layer of Ceramic Pro 9H applied to Exposed Areas
- 1 Layer of Ceramic Pro Light is used as a Top Coat.
- 1 Layer of Ceramic Pro 9H on Rims and Plastic
- 1 Layer of Ceramic Pro Rain on Front Side Windows and Windshield
- Lifetime Warranty
They also chose to apply XPEL XR Plus Ceramic Window film, which was applied to the full back glass, and all the remaining windows, plus front windshield. We applied XPEL XR Plus shade 70% which offers 99 % UV rejection and a huge 92% IR rejection.
Vehicles undoubtedly lose their shine due to normal wear and tear but having an exterior coating applied at the time you purchase your vehicle can help keep that showroom shine.
And with performance brakes for total control in all weather conditions, and that powerful dual motor and all-glass roof that extends from front to back, creating a sense of openness from every seat. NOTHING can hold you back from heading out on that open road.
Are you still confused about which paint protection to apply?
Please contact us using our contact form. Don’t forget to share this post if you find it interesting.
Phone us at 209-718-7000 or contact us through our Contact Form.
500 Glass Lane Ste C-3, D-4 Modesto, California 95356. Phone: (209) 718-7000
