I post infrequently to Priuschat; today I have something I think will be interest local members. I'm the founder of the California Cars Initiative (CalCars.org) -- since 2004, you may have seen our plug-in hybrid Prius conversions with the 100+MPG signs driving around the Bay Area -- quite a few out there by now, from us and a few small aftermarket conversion businesses. We're a non-profit, but we work with lots of companies to help advance our goals. This is a personal endorsement of those small ventures that deserves our help to continue to thrive in today's challenging economic climate. I'm taking this opportunity to invite hybrid drivers to consider trying out an ALTERNATIVE to the good network of auto dealers and the few long-established independents (like Pat's Garage in SF) that are equipped to handle the complexities of diagnosing and servicing the complex hybrid systems. Luscious Garage, tucked away on a side street near Moscone Center in San Francisco (Clementina between 5th and 6th), is, as far as I know, the only garage created to service hybrids (though it handles almost any car). And it's one of a few woman-owned shops in the country. I first met founder/hands-on owner Carolyn Coquillette on the team for one of our conversions in late 2006. In November 2007, she started Luscious Garage. Since then LG has gotten lots of media attention, including KQED Quest, The New York Times, UK Guardian and many more. And if you browse the unanimous 5-star ratings by dozens of happy customers at Yelp ( Luscious Garage - SOMA - San Francisco, CA or linked from Luscious Garage | Hybrid Specialists | Blog | Our Happy Customers )you'll be amazed to hear about a clean, honest, fun place to bring your car, where you won't feel ignorant and you'll get great value. Comments at Yelp confirm stories I've heard about how going to Luscious avoided unnecessary and expensive repairs or led to simpler solutions. So with all this attention, why was I moved to write this note? Despite being named "2008 Green Small Business of the Year" by the San Francisco Guardian, despite servicing the SF Green CAb Company's fleet, somehow many local Toyota/Honda/Lexus/Ford/Nissan/GM hybrid drivers don't know Luscious Garage exists. And while Carolyn has pioneered in supporting plug-in conversions, the money to stay in business comes from repairs and 5,000-mile service. In many cases, you'll find Luscious more than competitive on price with dealers. Luscious will welcome you as a customer. So spread the word: pass this on to other hybrid owners you know. And stop by when you're in the neighborhood or just try it out once --- you have nothing to lose.If you call, you won't have to push phonetree numbers to schedule the work. If you don't live in the city, it's worth the trip: drive up, get your interview, stroll a few blocks to the Metreon at Moscone or Century at San Francisco Centre, and take BART if you need to leave the car overnight. Thanks for your attention! [FONT=Helvetica, Helvetica]Carolyn Coquillette, Owner/Lead Technician Luscious Garage, 459 Clementina St., San Francisco, CA 94103 415.875.9030 phone 415.875.9140 fax [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Helvetica]http://LusciousGarage.com[/FONT] -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Felix Kramer Founder California Cars Initiative http://www.calcars.org http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Yeah, me too. Good luck with the conversions. I might add, even in Adelaide I have heard of Luscious Garage. Unfortunately I don't see myself getting my Prius serviced there. Bloody hard to make money fixing Toyotas.
She's also got a rather entertaining blog. . Here she is in deep conversation with my car with a scantool during one of the training sessions here in Mass, pulling the long litany of DTCs that came from having various parts of it disconnected... . . _H*
Here's another hearty recommendation for Ms. Coquillette's plucky Prius enterprise. Among other things, the shop did a heroic busted radio antenna fix quickly for me -- I know a dealer would have been less resourceful (part swap vs. repair) and more costly doing the job. BTW, Luscious Garage now has a video up at their website of Carolyn's talk at her alma mater (U. Michigan) showcasing their business philosophy. In the lecture slides, there's an amusing snapshot of a fried Prius battery nestled among the potted plants at the garage.
