Regarding the Car dealerships, here in mississippi I get anywhere from 1.10 per to 1.75. I use a RO to make spot free water and haul 1000 gallons with me to a lot. It is pretty expensive but while only servicing 6 lots per week I am able to profit around 5k a month after the help is paid. The key to washing cars at lots is not drying them, but to use a mit while rinsing and wipe the car down where its bad (any surface that faces the sky, hood, trunk, top of bumpers, and top) then if there are areas on the sides of the vehicle that have black lines going down it then you will have to wipe that area as well to ensure you cannot see where you did a half a** job. We actually hand wash alot of vehicles at this point to make a decent living and to be honest with you its alot more work than it is worth here in town. To make a vehicle look correct you have to mit the car then rinse.
After this is said and done and the cars are not really dirty when you get there except for the dust and pollen there is only one way I have found to get 99% of the dust off of. If anyone is interested in that way Pm me about it. Washing for car lots is purely for the fender flapping home depot machines and I am no longer persueing other accounts, I will service the accounts I currently have and if others call the price will be 2.00 per car to have it done correctly.