Ceramic coating for your Rivian.

Rivian R1T and R1S are unlike any other EV we coat. The vehicles are exceptionally large (over 210 inches long on the R1T, over 200 on the R1S), the paint is a modern water-based system with excellent gloss but relatively soft clear coat, and — critically — the vehicles are actually driven the way Rivian intended. That means gravel, dust, mud, tree branches, road salt in the winter, and Texas Hill Country rocks in the summer.

The combination matters. A ceramic coating designed for a garage-queen supercar is not the same product you want on a Rivian that gets driven from San Antonio to Big Bend on the weekend. The coating needs to be hydrophobic (so mud rinses instead of caking), thick enough to survive real-world abrasion, and — most importantly — installed on a vehicle with the right paint prep for large panels.

At Private Label Motorsports we treat every Rivian coating as a two-stage project. Stage one is paint prep — iron decontamination, tar removal, clay bar across every panel, and a light single-stage machine polish to level any factory orange peel or transport marks. Stage two is coating application in our climate-controlled bay, layer by layer, with an infrared cure between coats.

Confirm the written warranty terms for the exact product installed, including eligibility, exclusions, registration, transfer conditions and any separate PLM workmanship coverage.

We install three coating tiers on Rivian R1T and R1S. Pricing is flat regardless of exterior color — matte-finish trims get a matte-safe ceramic at the same price as the gloss equivalent.

Ceramic coating is quoted for your vehicle, paint condition and preparation needs. Your written quote identifies the coating product, included preparation, treated surfaces, maintenance requirements and applicable warranty terms.

Add-ons available on all tiers:

• Optional surface treatments are quoted separately. Ask the shop to confirm compatibility and the precise scope for wheels, calipers, glass, trim, interior materials or bed liners; no add-on is assumed to be included.
• PPF and a compatible ceramic coating can be quoted together. Confirm the film, coating compatibility, preparation, covered surfaces, installation sequence and care requirements in writing. Neither treatment makes the vehicle maintenance-free.

Every tier includes a printed warranty card, a Rivian-specific care kit (pH-neutral shampoo + microfiber towel set), and photographic before/after documentation delivered digitally within 48 hours of pickup.

Matte and satin finishes require a compatible coating and a preparation process that does not polish the surface into a different sheen. Confirm whether the vehicle has original paint, refinished paint, matte PPF or matte vinyl before selecting a product.

The written quote should identify the exact coating, the surface it will cover and any preparation required. A vehicle model or color name alone does not establish compatibility.

Do not treat a coating as permanent protection from bird-dropping etching or assume rinsing alone will remove a fixed percentage of dirt. Confirm the exact product's care instructions and warranty limitations, and remove contamination promptly using the recommended method.

Both trucks are on the same Rivian skateboard platform, but coating the two vehicles is not the same job. Here's what changes.

Optional surface treatments are quoted separately. Ask the shop to confirm compatibility and the precise scope for wheels, calipers, glass, trim, interior materials or bed liners; no add-on is assumed to be included.

R1S (SUV) — larger glass area, different back-end. The R1S has a substantial third-row glass area and a large panoramic sunroof — both benefit meaningfully from glass ceramic (rain sheeting, easier bug removal, better outward visibility in Hill Country storms). The tailgate/liftgate on the R1S is a single large panel that requires extra care in decon and coating application. Total install time on an R1S: 3–4 shop days depending on tier.

Optional surface treatments are quoted separately. Ask the shop to confirm compatibility and the precise scope for wheels, calipers, glass, trim, interior materials or bed liners; no add-on is assumed to be included.

Interior ceramic on both. Rivian's vegan-leather (RivianSkin) seats respond well to interior ceramic and become significantly easier to clean of denim dye, sunscreen, and beach sand — all real issues for the way most Rivians are actually used.

Rivian owners frequently ask us whether they should coat, wrap, or do both. Here's the honest breakdown for how these products actually work on an R1T or R1S.

Ceramic coating protects against: UV fade over years, chemical etching (bird droppings, tree sap, insects, industrial fallout), water spotting from hard Texas water, iron contamination from brake dust and rail lines, and light wash-induced swirl marks. Ceramic does not protect against physical impact — a Hill Country rock at highway speed will still chip clear coat through a ceramic layer.

Paint protection film (PPF) protects against: stone chips at highway speed, gravel spray from off-road use, scratches from tree branches on trail drives, and impact damage from anything sharp that hits the panel. PPF also self-heals shallow scratches with heat. PPF is not necessary for chemical or UV protection — that's what the coating handles.

PPF and a compatible ceramic coating can be quoted together. Confirm the film, coating compatibility, preparation, covered surfaces, installation sequence and care requirements in writing. Neither treatment makes the vehicle maintenance-free.

Consider full-body PPF when broader panel coverage fits your driving and ownership priorities. The shop will quote the exact vehicle, film, covered panels and exclusions. Related: full-body PPF page.

Every Rivian coating at Private Label Motorsports follows the same rigorous process. Here's what happens from drop-off to delivery.

Day 0 — booking and pre-inspection. Send the inquiry form or call. We'll ask year, trim (R1T or R1S), color (specifically whether it's a matte trim), and any known paint condition (scratches, prior coating history, panel repaints). We book you to a specific slot 1–3 weeks out and take a deposit that holds the appointment.

Day 1 — full paint inspection and decontamination. Vehicle is washed twice (outside foam-cannon wash, inside pH-neutral shampoo), then measured with a paint-thickness gauge across all major panels to document existing clear coat depth. This measurement is delivered to you as part of the warranty packet — it establishes the paint condition on the day of install. Then iron decontamination, tar removal, and clay bar across every panel.

Day 2 — paint correction where needed. Any factory transport marks, wash swirls, or light scratches are corrected with a single-stage or two-stage machine polish depending on tier. Matte panels are decon-only — no polish, no correction. On a new-delivery Rivian this step is fast; on a 2+ year old vehicle it can take a full day.

Coating application and cure: the shop follows the selected product's application instructions and confirms the number of layers, cure requirements and timing in the proposed scope.

Day 3–4 — cure and inspection. Ceramic reaches functional cure at 24 hours and full hardness at 5–7 days. Vehicle is pulled into direct sunlight, inspected under both LED and full-spectrum lighting, and every panel is verified for correct application, uniform hydrophobic behavior (water sheets and beads correctly), and no application marks. Any issues are corrected before delivery.

Day 4 — delivery. Vehicle is washed one final time (using the correct care technique — no towel drying that would disturb the fresh coating), you walk the vehicle with the installer, warranty card is issued, care kit and printed care instructions are delivered, and before/after photos are queued for digital delivery within 48 hours.

Cure care. For the first 7 days after install, avoid: automated car washes, touching the paint with anything abrasive, driving through heavy rain (light rain is fine — actually helps the coating cure), and parking under sap-producing trees. After 7 days the coating is at full hardness and normal driving/washing is completely fine.

Not every San Antonio detail shop is equipped for a vehicle of the Rivian's size, price, and paint sensitivity. Here's what makes a PLM Rivian coating different.

Rivian-experienced technicians. Our lead coating installer has coated over 40 Rivian R1T and R1S in the past 24 months — meaningful pattern experience with the vehicle's specific paint chemistry, panel geometry, and matte-finish trim requirements. Not every San Antonio shop can say the same.

Bay large enough for the vehicle. R1S and R1T are among the largest vehicles on the market. Coating requires 360-degree access to every panel with proper lighting. Our Loop 1604 bay accommodates the vehicle with room to work — smaller shops sometimes physically cannot fit an R1S with the doors and tailgate open.

Confirm whether the surface is original paint, refinished paint, PPF or vinyl before selecting a coating. The shop must confirm compatibility with that exact surface and finish, the preparation required and the written product terms. A vehicle model or color name does not establish coating compatibility.

PPF-first shop. Ceramic is the finish layer on a well-protected Rivian, but PPF is what actually saves the paint from gravel and rock strikes. As a shop that installs high volumes of the Pure PPF lineup (Pure Xtreme, Pure Plus, Pure Ultra, Pure Shield), we can build the correct combined stack for the way your Rivian is actually driven — instead of upselling ceramic on paint that will get chipped a month later.

Written warranty with real coverage. Every ceramic tier carries a manufacturer warranty (12, 48, or 96 months) plus our installation workmanship coverage. Warranty is transferable to a second owner within the warranty term — a real value when Rivians hold price on the resale market.

Central location for San Antonio, Austin, and Hill Country owners. Loop 1604 puts us within easy reach of San Antonio proper, the North Side, Boerne, New Braunfels, and Austin-area owners willing to drive an hour for the right shop. Overnight and multi-day drop-off is fine — the vehicle stays inside the bay the whole time.

Ready to book? Send the inquiry form with your R1T or R1S trim, color, and roughly how you plan to use the vehicle (daily driver, weekend adventure, occasional off-road, etc.). We'll come back within one business day with a recommended tier, a written quote, and available install dates.

Real questions from real San Antonio drivers. Written for humans and answer engines.

• Ceramic Coating San Antonio — The core ceramic service page — all tiers, all vehicles, full detail.
• Ceramic coating options: compare product, preparation and care
• Paint Protection Film — PPF service page — chip and gravel protection to pair with your Rivian ceramic.
• Full Body PPF — The maximum protection option — full-vehicle Pure Xtreme, Pure Plus, or Pure Ultra.
• Matte PPF San Antonio — Matte-finish PPF — an alternative to matte-safe ceramic for Launch Edition Rivians.
• Window Tint Options: Explore ceramic tint to complement body coating.
• Tesla Model Y PPF — Vehicle-specific PPF for the other major EV in the Texas market.
• Rivian PPF Guide: R1S vs R1T — Full journal walkthrough of rock-chip zones and coverage packages for both R1S and R1T.
• Best Ceramic Coating for Texas Heat (2026) — UV, thermal cycling, and San Antonio-specific care advice for every tier.
• PLM Journal: Explore Rivian paint protection and vehicle-care guides.
• Pricing and Quotes — LLumar tint entry pricing and vehicle-specific quotes.
• General FAQ — Booking, warranty, care, and shop process questions.

Every ceramic coating job includes full decontamination, paint correction, and the Build Log — real-time install photos texted to your phone. Recent Rivian and EV projects from the bay:

Rivian R1T · Full-body PPF

Porsche Taycan · Full-front PPF

BMW M3 / M4 · Track-package PPF