My Most Expensive Rivian Upgrade Does More Than Look Good: XPEL Stealth PPF

Two weeks into owning his Rivian R1T, Jimmy commits to full body XPEL Stealth paint protection film, drawn in by its self healing properties and matte aesthetic. He walks through what the film and an added ceramic coat actually do, the surprisingly fast one day install at Speed EFX, and exactly how the significant price tag is worth it.

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Two weeks into owning his Rivian R1T, Jimmy made a call he had been going back and forth on for a while: full body XPEL paint protection film. He had been on the fence mostly over cost, but a video from Engineering Explained pushed him over the edge once he learned XPEL's film does more than guard against scratches, rock chips, and pinstriping. It also self heals minor scuffs when exposed to sun or heat. Combined with his own preference for a matte finish and a truck he planned to actually use for outdoor adventures, the decision made itself.

• Speed EFX: https://www.speedefx.com/
• XPEL Rivian Program: https://www.xpel.com/pmp/rivian
• Jimmy's Rivian Referral code: JAMES1409338

The Protection Package

PPF itself is a thick layer of polyurethane installed as a physical barrier over the paint, and it comes in either a glossy or a satin matte finish. Jimmy went with matte, while another Rivian getting worked on in the shop that same day was getting the glossy version. One detail he found interesting along the way: Rivian trucks actually leave the factory with a small amount of PPF already applied to the gear tunnel door, which the shop was removing from someone else's Rivian to prep it for its own full body install. On top of the film, Jimmy also added a ceramic coat, a hydrophobic layer that makes washing easier and helps protect the PPF itself, which already carries a 10 year warranty. Window tint rounded out the package.

Getting It Done

After research led him to Speed EFX, Jimmy dropped the truck off and rode his electric unicycle to work instead, one more example of the PEVs the Freshly Charged channel covers doubling as everyday transportation. The turnaround caught him off guard. What he expected to be a multi day process, including paint correction, the film install, and the ceramic coat, was essentially finished in a single day, leaving him with little footage of the actual work. One of the shop's owners, working alongside a partner named JR, put the appeal simply: a fully matte Rivian is still rare enough to turn heads, and since the film sits on top of the original paint rather than replacing it, the whole look can come off later with the factory finish intact underneath.

Jimmy also explained why he skipped Rivian's own XPEL partner program. He had applied when it first launched and never got a response after several follow up calls, and when he checked with the most reputable XPEL installers in the Denver area directly, none of them could actually honor the pricing Rivian and XPEL had advertised. Speed EFX won the job on trust rather than a discount.

The Verdict

Jimmy said the finished result exceeded his expectations, from the compliments the matte finish draws to how easy the truck is to keep clean and how much cooler the tint keeps the cabin on sunny days. Despite a final price tag exceeding 7k, he was clear he would make the same choice again: film, ceramic coat, and tint.

• Speed EFX: https://www.speedefx.com/
• XPEL Rivian Program: https://www.xpel.com/pmp/rivian
• Jimmy's Rivian Referral code: JAMES1409338