Dangit! I just washed my car yesterday. It was my first car wash (yes, I've had the car since December) - I was skittish about going to my regular car wash because I haven't read up on putting the car in neutral and turning it off and it's one of those washes where once you get in line, there's no getting out if it's crowded. Anyway, I just went to the coin-op place by the grocery store and did a nice job for only $3.50, came home and cleaned the interior windows. She looks soooo much better clean.
A nice gesture, and he's safe while the production remains low, but he'll be bankrupt in a decade when 3/4 of the cars on the road are hybrids, and if a wash is free folks are going to wash their car every day. Ha ha.
There's always someone to look on the dark side. What idiot would even think of washing their car every day?
Oooh... a free car wash just around the corner from my girlfriend's house. Awesome. Thanks for the tip!
I've never taken my Prius through a car wash because I'm scared of letting them drive it--because of the nonstandard controls. Do the guys there know how to drive a Prius? (You'd think that if they don't now, with free car washing they soon will.)
Transcript of Print Ad in “Studio City Lifestyle†magazine (a local free publication) ====== “They Clean Our Air - we clean their car†Excerpt: Press Release - December 19, 2003 Studio City.. Ed Begley Jr. and the owner of the Studio City Hand Car Wash, announce a new program whereby all electric and hybrid vehicles will receive a free car wash at the Studio City facility . Begley, Jr., a noted actor, director, producer and longtime resident of Studio City, is a noted environmentalist. He drives an EV car and his wife drives a hybrid. “Ed Begley, Jr. helps clean our air by driving a pollution free automobileâ€, said Ben Forat, owner of the carwash. “By offering free car washes to owners of these cars, we are offering a small incentive for people to purchase or lease a pollution-free car. We are also saying thank you to the Begleys and others, for helping to reduce the smog levels which are a serious danger to the health for all of us .†The program will take effective immediately, and last through all of 2004. Forat has sent a letter to the Western Car Wash Association, representing carwash owners in the west, requesting their participation to make the program statewide in scope. ===== [Note: hard to fault them for bad grammar when their heart's in the right place...]
I went to the place today and they couldn't have been nicer. They did a great job, AND all the guys know how to drive a Prius. They were busy though (with regular cars) so allow some time. Cheers...
I guess this is going to be a regular pit stop for me on my way to Santa Barbara from now on. Anybody know their hours of operation? -Jody Rawles
I went there today, too. I saw one other Prius there, a 2004 blue one. They did a great job! When I drove up the guy looked at me and said, "It's a hybrid?" I said yes and he said, "Great, no charge!" and handed my my ticket! Very nice people. Be sure to give them a good tip!
Does anyone know if the car wash in studio city is going to continue giving free car washes to hybrids in 2005? (I'm still waiting for my red salsa to arrive!) Are there any other car washes in Los Angeles (hopefully near Venice Beach) where the attendants know how to drive the Prius? I never even considered that that would be an issue!
I would like to think that the owner will then move on to the next cleaner most efficient car design. I would like to think that it will be the next generation Prius. My theory is that when the HSD is available as an option for all other Toyota cars the Prius will be the test platform for the next step. Toyota seems committed to improving automotive technology and the environment. What ever their motivation they appear to be looking at the future and are willing to spend R&D dollars to do it. Prius, to go before, I expect that PriusChat may be around for a while discussing how to optimize the use of the Prius.
