It’s A Wrap — Sprucing Up Tesla Vehicles – CleanTechnica

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From what I’ve read, for the first time, Tesla can make more cars than it can sell. Up through 2030, Tesla promised to sell 50% more cars in the present year than it sold in the year before, at least on average, but it’s not happening. We know this partly because Tesla is pulling every sales lever possible to try to sell more cars in the 4^th quarter of 2024 than it sold in the 4^th quarter of 2023. Tesla has lowered prices and is now offering further discounts on inventory cars. Tesla is even offering free lifetime Supercharging again on some models. It is also offering at least three months of Full Self-Driving, etc., etc.

It’s not that Tesla has not been successful — the Model Y is the biggest selling car model in the world. It’s sold more than Toyota Camry or Corolla, or the Toyota Hilux (Tacoma) trucks. It’s sold more than the Honda Accord or Honda Civic. It’s sold more than the Ford F-150. It’s sold more than any Hyundai or Kia model.

Why is this sales lag happening? While the Cybertruck is a radical new vehicle, maybe too radical, the rest of the lineup has become very pedestrian. I’ve owned my Model 3 now for 5 years and it used to stop traffic. When I first bought the car, I would pull up to a fast-food place or grocery store and some kid would ask me about my car. It had plenty of novel features — a big control screen, automatic unlock and lock, better acceleration than any car I’ve owned, Full Self Driving, etc., etc. In the meantime, many other cars now have gotten smart cruise and autosteer and all the other features. How about styling? I still love the look of the front of my Model 3. However, the rest of it is pretty dull four-door styling. There’s nothing special about the lights. Many cars, even Hyundai models, have unique LED headlights and taillights these days that say: I’m a new car!

The new Highland refresh of the Model 3 and the upcoming Juniper refresh for the Model Y don’t make significant styling changes. The taillights are slightly different, but just as boring as before. Why would a prospective buyer pick the rather stale Tesla design rather than something fresher? For one thing, reliability. Also, there are many happy owners out there. You can’t pass an intersection on a busy street these days in northern Utah without seeing two or three Teslas. “These owners must like their cars, so maybe I will take a chance on one.” Supercharging is another reason. I would know, I owned three Nissan Leafs before I purchased my Model 3. I would not travel cross country in any other brand. However, how are you going to convince current Tesla owners to trade in their cars? Also, many prospective owners are looking for something that is fresher. Have you seen all the light grey and tan cars running around these days. These are new colors that say: you never saw this color before; therefore, I am a new vehicle. Tesla could come out with new colors that would do the same thing.

Also, the Tesla choice of colors has always been pretty boring. How can the guy who picked the Cybertruck styling, who makes rockets land on their tails, and who designed a satellite system that makes communication possible anyplace on the planet make such dull looking cars. I like my white Model 3, but the red is pretty dull, the dark blue is dull, black is pedestrian, and the silver is okay. The stainless steel DeLorean with gull-wing doors that you saw in the movie Back to the Future was a unique vehicle probably specially polished by the movie crew. However, the stainless steel of the Cybertruck in real life is pretty dull. Only the styling makes it turn heads. See a bunch of Cybertrucks in the photo below.

What can you do about it if you want your Tesla to have a look that will turn heads? You can wrap it!

The lead photo is of a Cybertruck with a yellow and brown wrap that definitely turns heads. The owner informed me that the yellow and brown two-tone wrap cost $6,500. You can now buy your Cybertruck wrapped by Tesla for $4,500 extra — if you live in the right area. However, I don’t see wrapping as an option on the website for the Cybertruck or any of the other Tesla models. As you see in the photo below, the color yellow does really stand out.

The Model S with purple wrap and a diamond (fake?) studded Tesla T shown in the photo below definitely stands out, but it looks like the wrap has become a little dull with age.

On the other hand, the Model S wrapped in gold shown in the photo below still looks great even though the car could be over 10 years old. However, I would guess that the wrap is probably more recent.

The Cybertruck with the light blue wrap in the photo below also really stands out. Probably, the owner got his company to pay for it, or at least got a big tax deduction.

I’m not sure what the owner of the black wrapped Cybertruck in the photo below was trying to accomplish. I don’t think it stands out that much. Maybe a stealth look? The Utah Delicate Arch plate really spoils it. You would think he would have at least used the new black Utah plate with white lettering,

What must Tesla do to give its sales a boost. It needs a significant styling refresh, not the lame ones we are seeing so far. It also needs a new set of colors that say: I’m a new car, like the light grey and tan colors we are seeing lately.

In the meantime, what can a prospective buyer do to make his Tesla stand out and look new: Wrap it!

Note: Many of us feel betrayed by Elon Musk. He was the one who was developing electric vehicles because clean energy and clean propulsion are important. But Musk spent millions of his own money to help get Trump elected. Musk is now a key advisor to Trump. Trump is the guy who has taken many millions from fossil fuel companies in exchange for the promise to promote their industries any way he can. He’s also the guy who hates wind turbines, tried to stop California from having its own pollution rules, and doesn’t believe in global warming.

Referral Program: If you are buying a new Tesla, Tesla has reactivated its referral program. If you find any of my articles helpful to you, please use my referral link: https://ts.la/arthur73734 (be sure to use it when you make your order). If you are buying a new Tesla and use my link, I believe you’ll receive $1,000 off the purchase price of a Model S or X, or $500 off the price of a Model 3 or Y. You will also get 3 months of Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Just be prepared to intervene immediately if it screws up.