Tesla Cybertruck has a bad rap. So she gave hers a peach of a wrap

Hamilton Spectator

4 hours ago

Christel Virag knows her main vehicle is one some people love to hate, whether it's due to its futuristic appearance, or because its creator, Elon Musk, is a highly polarizing figure. In her eyes, her 2024 Tesla Cybertruck is just peachy … the same colour the vehicle's stainless-steel body is wrapped in. Although Virag, who lives with her family in Georgetown, also has a Cadillac Escalade and a Lamborghini Aventador, the angular Cybertruck is the vehicle she gravitates to.
'I grew up in a single-parent, low-income home, and I didn't even know what a Lamborghini or Bentley was. I wasn't into cars.
About nine years ago, my husband and I had a Range Rover that had been wrapped. I was pregnant with our first child. I have a background in marketing and we were getting so many compliments on the Range Rover and its wrap, that we took a risk and opened our own vehicle wrap business (www.wraptorsinc.com) as a small shop in 2016. Fast forward to 2025 and we have headquarters in Mississauga and 15 locations, including in Florida and South Africa.
We have a saying that if you want to wrap Teslas, you need to own one. The business has a fleet of 10 to 15 of (the) cars, in different categories, for that reason.
I ordered the Cybertruck two-and-a-half years ago online with a $250-deposit, and was on a waiting list for two years. I got it in January 2025, straight from the dealership. It was a brand-new car, and, because it's considered a commercial vehicle, I didn't have to pay luxury tax on it. (A federal luxury tax that normally applies to vehicles costing more than $100,000; the Cybertruck's weight of 4,000 kg puts it above the weight threshold for the tax).
It looks like something from outer space. I've never had an electric car before. It's practical because it's a pickup truck. I have three kids who have bicycles and play hockey and rep soccer, and it has plenty of room to stow their stuff.
It's similar to all the other Teslas, with a tiny half steering wheel and no shifter. Everything is on a screen, telling you if it's in reverse or whether it's low on windshield wiper fluid, for example. The mirror, itself, is on the screen. It's still a learning curve. It has automatic brakes and will slow itself down, and when I switch to another vehicle, I have to remember to use the brakes.
It's almost like driving a spaceship. You push the gas and then it jolts forward, but it's so smooth. You don't hear the engine. It's incredible that something that's so big and so heavy is so quiet and feels so smooth. It's like you're flying on a cloud. (The Cybertruck reportedly can go from zero to 100 km/h in 2.7 seconds). I don't drive it fast, though.
The car I drive is often determined by how many children I have that day. The Cybertruck has five seats, and it's so spacious, even though it looks small from the outside. In the back seat, the children have their own screen, with Netflix, YouTube and games. The car has a microphone you can use to talk to someone outside. If I take my kids to the park, I can sit in the truck and watch them play, then use the microphone and say 'OK, it's time to go,' when we have to leave.
The Cybertruck was the typical stainless-steel exterior when I got it in January, but now It's got a peach wrap, including the rims, and I love it. It's my first electric truck. I don't love my Escalade, and, although I love my Aventador, the more practical car is the Cybertruck. I drive it 90 per cent of the time.
I love that it's fully electric and I can charge it, and that it's so super safe. There are no blind spots, because there are so many cameras and warnings if vehicles are too close in front or behind you.
It does all kinds of light tricks, with different themes for different holidays, and you can put on a light show with music for different occasions. You can sync two Cybertrucks together to do a light-and-sound show, and we've done that, as I have the pink one and my husband has a blue one. All of my cars are some shade of pink. The Escalade is pink, the Lamborghini is faded pink. My seven-year-old daughter loves it.
The Cybertruck is so weird looking, people either love or hate it. But it's a perfect driving advertisement, (both) because it is weird-looking and because of its colour. I have driven it to Ottawa to one of our business locations, and to Indiana for my sister's graduation.
To be honest, I was super worried about driving to the States in it (because of the backlash against Musk and Tesla), as people seem a lot more vocal and there's been more vandalism against Teslas. But there was no problem and everyone who saw it was giving it a thumbs up. I think because it is pink, it's less hated.
On a full charge, it has a range of 500 km When it's cold, I lose about 50 km, which isn't bad. The great thing is that Tesla charging stations are everywhere now, and when I was travelling to Indiana, I typed in the destination and mapped the route to include charging stations, and it told me I'd need to stay for 25 minutes to charge. We had a charger installed at home, and I plug it in and charge it overnight.
I don't necessarily go cruising, as I'm always driving. I did take it and the Lamborghini to two children's fun fairs recently and let kids climb into them.
I drive the Cybertruck year-round. It won't get stored for the winter. It is a super good winter car. It tells you when the road is slippery and will go into snow mode. It's trained how to drive in snow.
It's 100 per cent my favourite vehicle.
You can follow Christel Virag on Instagram at @christelbarbie