Now Open Overnight
Luscious Garage is now open overnight, 7 nights a week. The night shift is dedicated to hybrid taxi cabs, though regular customers may find it handy for drop-offs, pick-ups, and/or emergency services.
Our hours are now:
Daytime
Tuesday - Friday 7:30am - 6:00pm
(office open Mondays 7:30am - 3:30pm)
Nighttime (taxi hours)
9:00pm - 5:00am every night
The shop is only closed for an extended time (more than 6 hours) from 5:00am to 9:00pm Saturday and Sunday (though hours and days are subject to change). If you have the bad fortune of a hybrid emergency during this time, you can text us.
Short code: 556-78
Begin your message with the keyword “hybrid”
(Warning: it has to be “hybrid” with a space after it. “hybrid.” or “hybrid:” will not work, for example. But it’s a start!)
Read more about LG’s alter-ego, “Hybrid Taxi Repair”
Read more about texting us, “Now Texting”
Pictured: Night Shift Techs Rick Vogel, Mike Hardin, and Gil Caramanzana
Posted by Carolyn
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Facility »
Hybrid Taxi Repair
In November 2010, Luscious Garage added a night shift dedicated to hybrid taxi cabs.
Since many cabbies are ESL—making “luscious” even more obscure and difficult to pronounce and because “luscious garage” sounds a lot like “luxor garage” (formally “Haight St Garage”, located in Bayview and our primary competition)—at night we go by “Hybrid Taxi Repair”.
The San Francisco taxi community is increasingly hybrid based, due to regulations that incentivize the technology. So-called “alternative fueled vehicles” (read: hybrids and natural gas) command a higher “gate fee”: what a company or individual owner-operator may charge a driver for use of the vehicle. Drivers prefer these vehicles, despite having to pay the higher “gate”, because the fuel savings is greater than the fee increase. Essentially money that was previously paid to oil companies is now being transferred to taxi cab owners and drivers, with the benefit of decreased carbon emissions overall.
Luscious Garage has been servicing hybrid taxis since we opened in 2007. SF Green Cab was one of our first customers; Thomas George-Williams, co-founder of SF Green Cab, actually wrote our first Yelp review. And as the taxi fleet has transitioned to hybrids, LG has increasingly focused on taxis.
In our new space, taxi business has grown in addition to “regular” customers, which is a good problem. It’s challenged us:
- To meet taxi demand without compromising our attention to private vehicle owners
- To accommodate taxi priorities, given that repairs are drop-in, often critical, and need to be done ASAP
- To maintain our standards for transparency, competency, and environmental responsibility, while staying price competitive with other taxi shops
In response, we piloted a second shift running overnight. After five months, our night shift now employs three additional technicians and services over 250 cabs, and hours have expanded to six nights a week. Though still in development, the shift has succeeded in meeting the needs of San Francisco taxis, leveraging the same expertise, equipment, and outstanding facility of the day shift, at the time most convenient for taxi service. It is now common for cabs to be lined out the door, with a circle of drivers chatting in the kitchen or smoking on the curb, speaking languages from all over the world.
As an independent service provider, LG caters to taxi owner-operators; individuals whose cars are their business. Despite heightened consciousness for turnaround and price, taxi owners share one important need with private hybrid owners: a mechanical advocate. At its core, bridging the technical divide is LG’s work, and our dedication, fluency, and honesty are highly appreciated by our customers regardless of their background.
We are also proud to support the city’s cab fleet and its effort to lower emissions.
Pictured: Monday night full of Prius. We also service Camry and Highlander hybrid cabs, Nissan Altima Hybrid cabs, and Ford Fusion and Escape hybrid cabs.
Pictured: Night Shift Techs Rick Vogel, Mike Hardin, and Gil Caramanzana
Posted by Carolyn
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Prius HID Headlight Class Action Lawsuit
The Toyota Prius HID debacle has taken a new turn: Class Action settlement in US District Court. Anyone following on Prius Chat etc. is aware of the festering anger among owners who paid unnecessarily high amounts to have these bulbs replaced. Now Toyota will reimburse owners for the repairs, effectively subsidizing their own dealerships ill-behavior.
I still need to read the settlement information all the way through; the PDF is available below (released by the Class Counsel). Meanwhile we will do our best to respond to requests for invoice copies.
It is my professional opinion that the problem is not the bulbs but dealership service policies. All machines break, and hybrids are not immune. In its quietness, ease of use, and overall reliability (read: good engineering), the Prius falsely suggests that it is not a machine and should not break, or if it does, it is Toyota’s fault. There is a gap between drivers and high tech cars, and service departments have the option to bridge the gap or exploit it.
Dealerships fixed the headlights, but they broke their customers. At this shop, we replace the bulbs at a cost which is fair to us and fair to the customer ($30 labor, $94 part). We repair the customer and the car, and the trust in our services bolsters owners’ trust in their cars. Toyota has yet to make that connection.
Link to the Class Counsel’s website dedicated to the settlement:
Link to LG’s related blogs:
Prius HID D4R Headlight Bulbs, Part 1
Prius HID D4R Headlight Bulbs, Part 2
Photos:
Top: a Philips brand D4R HID headlight bulb—the kind installed at the factory, which go bad (in due time)—recently replaced by LG
Below:
1. Close up of a Harrison brand D4R—the kind that the dealer now sells as replacements, which also go bad (in due time)—recently replaced by LG
2. Close up of a newer Philips D4R bulb (identifiable by the green tube around the ground wire stem, original being brown)—the kind LG sells, which also go bad (in due time)—recently replaced by LG
3. HID bulbs replaced by LG in the last six weeks or so
4. All kinds of bulbs replaced by LG in the last six weeks or so
Posted by Carolyn
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LG inspires hybrid training in Ann Arbor, MI
From the Washtenaw Voice, the student newspaper for Wastenaw Community College:
WCC Alum Inspires New Hybrid Technology Course by Leah Rurka
I attended night classes in WCC’s Automotive Service program over two years, starting in 2000. When I first enrolled I had never even changed my own oil; when one of my classmates asked me to hand him the ratchet, I grabbed a wrench. It was a foundational experience in my career in auto repair, making the transition from “professional” jobs I had pursued prior.
Russ Ferguson is a beloved instructor at WCC. His indefatigable passion and modesty will serve well in the development of a hybrid program. Like myself, he’s a disciple of Jack Rosebro, Perfect Sky automotive training. Kudos to him and Ross Gordon for bringing legitimate hybrid and EV curriculum to Southeast Michigan. Hybrid owners of Ann Arbor will benefit hugely, no less than the students.
Posted by Carolyn
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Community »
Holiday Hours 2010
Luscious Garage is officially closed beginning Friday, December 24th, through the week between Christmas and New Years. The shop will reopen Tuesday, January 4th.
Unofficially, Keshau will be answering the phone and handling special needs during the daytime, Monday-Thursday, December 27th-30th.
Luscious Taxi Hours will continue overnight, 9pm-5am, Sunday, December 26th to Thursday, December 30th. More information about Luscious taxi service will post on the blog shortly.
John has agreed to be Master Technician On Call during daytime hours most days.
In short: if you have a problem, call the shop line at 415-875-9030 and we will take it from there. Generally speaking, all non-emergency services will resume in 2011.
Happy everything to all!
Luscious Elves John, Keshau, and Gregory feeling festive:
