Secretary of Transportation (and former congressman) Ray LaHood doesn’t want to just be known as the man who launched a campaign against distracted driving. In a recent meeting with Volkswagen employees in Virginia, LaHood fielded questions on what type of car he drove, and his answers will definitely appeal to the eco-conscious among us.
He disparaged his on-the-job transportation, a caravan of full-size GMC Yukon SUVs, as “big gas guzzlers” and admitted that he kept a Ford Escape Hybrid at his home in Peoria, Ill. LaHood took that one step further, saying, “I’m proud to say I drive a hybrid.”
LaHood used to drive a 1997 Buick Regal, but when he’s in Washington, D.C., he drives a 2011 Chevy Malibu, which gets “very good” fuel economy compared to the Buick.
Eager to refresh his campaigning skills, LaHood told the gathered Volkswagen employees, “I wish I could say I could afford an Audi,” which drew appreciative chuckles from the audience. He also commented on how difficult it was to define a can “made in America,” pointing out that the 2012 Volkswagen Passat is built by American workers in Chattanooga, Tenn.
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