Here is my brand new 2005 Toyota Prius Gas/Electric Hybrid Car.

Getting lots of questions, so I made this webpage.  Updated 8/06.

The first thing I did when I picked it up 3/29/05 was to add my Fuller Brush magnetic signs. - Roland Rhoades, international Fuller Brush Man.   

My GREEN blue Car 3/29/05

I have wanted one of these ever since I was introduced to them from our church's Alternative Energy Fair in 2002 that generated a lot of print and televised press coverage. I attend a church for bleeding-heart tree-hugging progressive liberals* [see below for definition of liberal, since Republican leadership has been redefining the dictionary trying to make it a 4-letter word, just like Big Brother in "1984"] where I first learned about this car at our energy fair. I decided that it was finally time for a new car. This car is rated at 60 city and 51 highway mpg (not a typo) and has 4 doors and plenty of leg room for 5 people, as well as my Fuller Brush products. Gets a big thumbs up from Consumer Reports Magazine. More room and better mileage than the Honda hybrid. The Toyota has the only "second generation" hybrid technology. LOTS of improvements over the ones I test drove back then. LOTS of stuff to learn about how to operate it too. Reading the Operators Manual is a Must.

And here is my Prius 8/06 right after washing it with Fuller's 'Car Wash & Wax'. Note my license plate I got last year.

The Prius has more demand than cars available, so usually there is a many-month waiting list, but I went to www.Toyota.com and checked the car all out through their 3-D viewing system (better than being there!), decided what color and options I wanted, and clicked on find me a dealer. They sent my request to all the southern Maine dealers and the one in Auburn just so happened to have the color and options I wanted already pre-ordered and unspoken for. Gave them a deposit over the phone and it arrived a couple weeks later. I really lucked out. With the demand for this car, you DO pay the full list price [about $23,000], but I decided it was worth it (and that I was worth it). Thanks to Fuller Brush for the income to pay for it. The Prius really has to be seen to be believed. I got the option package with the Smart Key system. You never have to use a key! Just have the key in your pocket, and your locked car will recognize you when you touch the door handles! Lock it when you get out by just pushing the button on the outside door handle when you close the door. Ignition is optional too, with the electronic system. Just push the start button and if the key is in the general area, it starts right up. With the key staying in your pocket or purse, no more locking yourself out! (I had done that a few times.) Terrific display screens; you just have to remember to watch the road too. When you're done driving, just press the Park button. Nothing to plug in, runs on batteries that charge when the gas motor needs to kick in. When you brake, that wasted energy is fed back into the batteries. PLENTY of power too.  I don't care what gas costs anymore. I am definitely driving more this year. There are other great features too, that you really wouldn't think about. It has a foot rest for your left foot while you are driving, and an inside thermostat. Instead of turning the heat on when you're cold, and turning it off when you're hot, then turning it back on, just set the temperature you want like you do in your house, and it will maintain that temperature! Also tells you the temperature outside.

I usually try to buy American, and Detroit is wondering why sales are lagging.  DUH!  Make a car that people really want, and stop making cars that support your oil company investments!

btw, There are also tax incentives. In Maine, sales tax is half price. And on your federal tax returns, you can deduct $2000 from your income regardless of whether you itemize or not. Tax incentives have been extended in 2006.

I was shocked, but this afternoon 3/30/05 Larry Gray at Fuller Brush sent me a handwritten fax "YAHOO! YAHOO! YAHOO!! Your hard work and efforts in Fuller Brush have paid off with a Brand NEW light blue 2005 Toyota Prius hybrid car!! Outstanding! Outstanding! Congratulations Roland!! It's time to enjoy the rewards!!" with a PS "Roland - I'm so thrilled for you! - It almost seems like I'm the one getting the new car!"
My question is HOW did he find out? The fax came in while I was on the phone with Accounts Administration and I was telling Kelli. I guess this guy just knows everything.
Larry also called me a few days later and I gave him this webpage and he printed it off to post on the Customer Service bulletin board.

Church member Connie C emailed me, seconding my opinion. Thanks Connie.

Hi Roland,

I just had to tell you how smart you are to be getting a Prius!  Lou and I are in love with ours. We got it last August (after a 6 mo. wait) and we find it fun to drive, comfortable, thoughtfully designed, and best of all, easy on the pocketbook. In the coldest days of winter we were getting around 47-49 miles per gallon; in warmer weather we get between 51-55. ALL cars should be hybrids--it would do a lot for our energy independence.

Cheers, Connie

MAY 18, 2005 UPDATE
I happened to read an article in this Sunday's paper about cars. I was surprised at first to see me described to a tee: "The stereotype of a typical owner of a hybrid such as the Toyota Prius would be a liberal Democrat - an environmental activist, for example." "...the typical Prius owner is in his/her 40s or 50s with some disposable income who chooses the car for its environmental benefits: low emissions and high gas mileage." US Congressman Tom Allen (D-ME) also drives a Prius. (I'm on his Christmas card list.)
   My first 1500 miles have used 30 gallons of gas = 50 miles per gallon. Mostly hills and/or 70 mph driving, and fast take-offs. No complaints!

October 2005 Update: Still running great and after 6000+ miles, I've gotten 51 mpg.

April 2006 Update: I drove about 10,000 miles in my first year and bought 204 gallons of gas!  Winter mileage during the 3 coldest months in Maine was only about 44 mpg, but overall it is about 50 miles per gallon.

[* from above: LIBERAL: Liberals respect life in all forms - human, animal, and plants, and the environment for now and future generations, RESPECTING what God loaned us. I use the term "Progressive" as opposed to regressive. We believe that big government should keep it's nose out of our personal lives. You can't legislate morality. If the government wants to get involved at all, it should protect citizens from hate and hate crimes, instead of trying to prevent people from loving one another. Instead it stirred up hatred and bigotry with lies about gay people and liberals. They seem to believe that they can lie, cheat, steal, and kill, as long as they invoke the name of God somewhere in their message or TV commercial. Really people, What WOULD Jesus Do? He didn't hate anybody. I hope the Republican leadership doesn't really represent the beliefs and values of most Republicans. I have heard refreshing news from some life-long Republicans who have disowned their Party.  Enough of my soapbox, I guess; that's not why you came to this webpage. For more on this digressing, go to my Liberals page.]

For those of you who do have to buy gas and oil on a regular basis, here's something one of our Fuller team members sent me (Thanks, Pat) [pass it on]:

WHERE TO BUY YOUR GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON -
The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor. An interesting thought to boycott their GAS. Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis. Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends. I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil :
Shell............................. 205,742,000 barrels
Chevron/Texaco............... 144,332,000 barrels
Exxon/Mobil.................... 130,082,000 barrels
Marathon/Speedway........... 117,740,000 barrels
Amoco............................ 62,231,000 barrels
If you do the math at $30/barrel [almost double that now], these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:
Citgo*....................0 barrels     Sunoco...................0 barrels
Conoco..................0 barrels     Sinclair..................0 barrels
BP/Phillips..............0 barrels     Hess.....................0 barrels
ARC0.....................0 barrels
All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing. But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas buyers. It's really simple to do. Now, don't wimp out at this point... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!
*Note: Citgo is Venezuela oil, the people who bypassed Washington and gave northern states below-market oil to help people who couldn't afford to heat their homes. Nice to RECEIVE foreign aid for a change! I look for Citgo stations now. - RR 5/06

I'm sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300)... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) ... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers! If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it ..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!
Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next eight days!