ALSET Auto’s expanding franchise business offers Tesla-like experience for EV protection and personalization
ALSET Auto doesn’t protect cars; it protects EVs. This year, the Tesla customization company expanded its services to include all EV owners and offers services such as tint, ceramic coatings, paint protection film (PPF), and colored wraps. As ALSET Auto’s business grows, the company is offering new franchise opportunities to help expand its services to EV owners in the US and Canada.
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Founded by EV owners for EV owners
ALSET Auto was founded in Portland, Oregon in 2018 by Phil Bunting and Marcus Brown after they each purchased Teslas and were dissatisfied with their experience in their search for viable exterior protection options.
I called a half dozen shops in my area and got the same runaround. They loved to disparage Tesla’s soft paint, but no one wanted to give me a firm price for paint protection over the phone,
recalls ALSET CEO, Phil Bunting:
They all wanted me to bring my Tesla into their shop first, refused to provide a firm estimate over the phone, and declined to list their all-in prices on their website. I remember thinking, if I can build, price, and purchase a $100,000 Model X on my iPhone in five minutes, why should getting my Tesla protected be any different?
Thus, the idea for ALSET (Tesla spelled backward) was born. The company envisioned offering customers an experience similar to buying a Tesla, where the price is transparent, and there is no upselling, bait-and-switch tactics, or pricing gimmicks. Instead of selling Tesla owners on the fear of what could happen to their EV’s unprotected paint, ALSET set out to build a lasting connection with customers based on a shared passion for the cars they love.
Over the past five years, ALSET Auto has quickly become a leading provider of paint protection and personalization services. Operating in 15 markets across North America, ALSET has protected and personalized more than 7,000 EVs.
Aside from Cybertruck wraps, ALSET Auto’s three core services appeal to the broader market of owners who are looking to protect, preserve and enhance the look of their EVs. The company forged a partnership with XPEL Inc. to offer its customers a suite of best-in-class protective film and coating options, which include:
ALSET Auto offers a suite of options to protect, preserve and personalize your EV
Tesla Cybertruck wraps have quickly become a significant portion of ALSET Auto’s expanding business. The company offers the largest selection of colored PPF in the industry with more than 250 options in gloss, matte, metallic, and color shifting. The company is currently wrapping about 100 Cybertrucks per month, with several locations wrapping as many as five per week. Bunting elaborated:
The demand for colored paint protection film in recent years has surged because most EVs are offered in limited colors. Unlike flimsy vinyl wraps, colored PPF offer durable protection, self- healing properties and longer warranty coverage. It is the best of both worlds for protection and aesthetics. For Cybertrucks, we are finding that it’s a matter of when their owners will purchase wraps, not if.
The company has received nearly 1,000 five-star reviews for offering highly specialized customer service along with an industry-leading, lifetime warranty. In addition, ALSET services are CARFAX certified so that all upgrades appear on CARFAX reports to increase resale value and assist in insurance claims.
Paint Protection Film (PPF) – This durable self-healing film is offered in a clear or matte finish and is most commonly applied to the entire car or the front impact zones which include the full hood, fenders, bumper and mirror caps. PPF protects the vehicle’s paint from unsightly rock chips, scratches and abrasions. In many instances, scratches in the film can be removed with heat from the sun or blowdryer, or by using hot water.
Nano Ceramic Coatings – When fully cured, ceramic coatings are up to three times harder than factory clear coat. ALSET Auto’s full interior and exterior ceramic package uses four different ceramic formulas which are applied to the paint and trim, wheels, windshield, as well as the interior. While these coatings are not intended to prevent rock chips, they help protect from light scratches and swirls, environmental contaminants, and etching from bug guts and bird droppings. They also make your EV extremely shiny and hydrophobic, which makes washing and maintenance a breeze.
Ceramic Window Film – Available in a variety of shades, ceramic window tint offers unrivaled heat rejection as well as protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. It also provides a sleeker look and enhanced security and privacy. EVs with ceramic window tint can expect to get more range from their battery due to lower cabin temps and less use of their EV’s air conditioning.
ALSET Auto also participates in XPEL’s OEM referral programs, which include Tesla and Rivian.
ALSET Auto plans to award 12 new franchises in 2025
After successfully opening corporate locations in Portland and Seattle, ALSET Auto launched the company’s first franchise in 2021 in Dallas, Texas. In doing so, ALSET Auto completed a rigorous franchise registration process with iFranchise Group, Inc., an industry-leading consultancy group that has worked with Massage Envy, Denny’s, Vitamin Shoppe, Shelf Genie and other name brands.
Since then, ALSET Auto has expanded to 15 locations with several more franchises currently in the pipeline.
- Locations:
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Dallas, TX
- Jacksonville, FL
- Las Vegas, NV
- Orange County, CA
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Richmond, VA
- San Diego, CA
- Sacramento, CA (ALSET Affiliate)
- Seattle, WA
- Tampa, FL
- Vancouver, BC, Canada
The average annual revenue for ALSET Auto locations open at least 12 months was $1 million in 2023, according to the company’s 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
ALSET Auto provides franchisees a wide range of ongoing support including training, site selection assistance, coaching, access to proprietary software systems, in-house marketing and advertising, vendor partnerships, and dealer programs. These services are critical to setting up news franchise operators for success.
Current ALSET franchisees joined the company without any prior experience in the industry. They come from various backgrounds, including the restaurant and entertainment industries, sales, technology, sports, and finance.
Ideal franchise candidates are EV owners and enthusiasts who are passionate about the booming EV market and seeking financial freedom and independence from a typical 9-to-5 job. Candidates should be well-capitalized, business-minded, passionate about the EV industry, and committed to actively working in their business.
To learn more about franchising with ALSET Auto and receive the company’s franchising e-brochure, visit their website here.
If you’re interested in learning more about their services, visit their retail site at www.alsetauto.com.
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Tesla has started to offer discounted financing on Cybertruck as the electric pickup truck undoubtedly turns out to be a flop.
Tesla claimed over 1 million reservations for the Cybertruck, and CEO Elon Musk said he could see Tesla producing 500,000 units per year.
However, that was before Tesla announced that the production version would be much more expensive and have a shorter range than what was initially announced.
The Cybertruck has now been in production for a year and a half, and it looks like Tesla would be lucky to sell about 10% of Musk’s goal of 500,000 units.
The automaker doesn’t report Cybertruck sales, but it is estimated that Tesla delivered roughly 40,000 Cybertrucks in 2024, and it is expected to have even more issues selling the truck this year.
Tesla has taken several steps to help sales.
We reported that Tesla launched Cybertruck leases to help move vehicles. The company is even still tucked with “Foundations Series” Cybertrucks, and we found out that Tesla buffed “Foundations Series” badges out of some trucks to sell them as cheaper regular Cybertrucks.
For the remaining “Foundations Series,” which there still are despite Tesla switching to regular Cybertruck production in October, Tesla has even offered free Supercharging for life.
Now, Tesla is stepping up its game, and it is offering discounted financing on new Cybertruck orders:
Tesla announced 1.99% APR for a limited time:
1.99% APR available for a limited time for well-qualified buyers
WIthout the “promotion”, the rate for excellent credit is 5.84%.
While Tesla is discounting the rates, it is not discounting them as much as for new Model 3 orders.
We reported earlier this week that Tesla offers 0% and 0.99% with $0 down on new Model 3 orders in the US until the end of the quarter.
Electrek’s Take
It is very possible that Tesla can’t sell more than 10,000 Cybertrucks this quarter, which would extrapolate to 40,000 units per year or less than 10% of what Elon said he would see Tesla delivering.
Now, the cheaper single motor Cybertruck should help, but by how much? It could bring Tesla to 20-30% of the volume Elon saw possible?
I think it’s fairly clear that the Cybertruck is a flop.
Tesla launched a single new vehicle in the last 5 years and it is a flop.
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Environment
Toyota launched its cheapest EV in China and it crashed the server starting at just $15,000
Toyota looks to grab a bigger share of the world’s largest EV market as it takes aim at BYD and other low-cost leaders. On Thursday, Toyota launched its cheapest EV in China, the bZ3X, starting at roughly $15,000. The new electric SUV crashed the server with over 10,000 orders in an hour.
Meet Toyota’s cheapest EV in China, the bZ3X
The bz3X is Toyota’s “first 100,000 yuan-level pure electric SUV” in China and its cheapest EV to hit the market so far.
Toyota’s Chinese joint venture, GAC-Toyota officially launched the “Bozhi 3X,” or bZ3X for short, in China on March 6. Shortly after, the company said orders for its new electric SUV were “so popular that the server crashed” after revealing prices start at just over $15,000 (109,800 yuan).
After securing over 10,000 orders in just one hour, Toyota boasted again that “the server is overwhelmed.” The launch comes after blind pre-orders opened in December, starting at just under $14,000 (100,000 yuan).
The bZ3X is available in two versions, with or without its full-scenario smart driving tech. The non-smart tech model starts at 109,800 yuan ($15,000) with five trim options while the smart driving model starts at 149,800 yuan ($20,500).
For 159,800 yuan ($22,000), the range-topping “610 Max” trim provides up to 610 km (379 miles) CLTC range from a 67.92 kWh LFP battery. The base “430 Air” gets up to 430 km (267 miles) from a 50.03 kWh LFP battery pack.
Toyota said the interior provides “a mobile space that is comfortable as home,” with front and rear seats that can fold down to provide nearly 10 feet (3 meters) of space.
Inside, the electric SUV has a 14.6″ infotainment screen with voice recognition and an 8.8″ driver display. It also includes a two-spoke multi-function steering wheel.
Toyota’s new bZ3X is its first vehicle with the Momenta 5.0 Intelligent Driving System. Powered by NVIDIA Drive AGX Orin X, it comes with 25 ADAS features, such as parallel parking, remote control parking, high-speed pilot, light traffic assist, and blind spot monitoring.
GAC-Toyota claimed it will be “one of the first automakers in the world to realize a one-stage end-to-end intelligent driving model.” With human-like intelligence, the vehicle “gets smarter and better with use.”
At 4,600 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,645 mm tall, Toyota’s cheapest EV in China is about the size of BYD’s Yuan Plus (Atto 3) at 4,455 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,615 mm tall. Starting at 115,800 yuan ($16,000), Toyota’s new bZ3X slightly undercuts BYD’s electric SUV.
What do you think of Toyota’s new electric SUV? Would you buy one for around $15,000? We’ll keep dreaming.
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