If you don’t know, I drive a Tesla Model 3 electric car. I absolutely adore it, it’s by far the best car I have ever had. One issue with the Model 3 is that, because of its shape and power, the paintwork just in front and behind the rear wheels gets hammers with little stones and road salt/grit. This means that, unprotected, you can get hundreds of tiny stone chips in this area. See the image below:
The Chinese built cars do seem to have thicker paint in this area, but it is still crazy how badly they get damaged here. Tesla do fit factory PPF (Paint Protection Film) on Model Y, but not on Model 3, even in 2022.
You can however buy a kit to protect this area, and the area immediately behind the rear wheels too on eBay. This custom fit, self install kit takes about an hour to fit on both sides, and the self-healing PPF will repel the chips, and is far more effective than ceramic coatings. Once fitted, it is virtually invisible and will last many years to protect the paint and prevent rust of the steel bodywork.
Get you kits on eBay here – Tesla Wheel Arch and Bumper PPF film kit
You can also get a kit to protect the paint on the top of the bumper to prevent scratches when loading items in and out – eBay Tesla bumper load lip protector
