German Parliamentarians Roll Clean

In Germany, they seem to be as concerned with the quality of the environment as they are with the quality of their beer.

Further evidence of this is a fleet of cars that the transport service of the German Federal Parliament is putting into service.

No, these parliamentarians aren’t going to be rolling around in some A- or B-class hybrid of some sort.

Rather, they are going to be inside the handsome interior of the Audi A6.

What, you wonder, does this have to do with environmental concerns?

Well, the 66 cars are not just any Audi A6s. They are A6 2.0 TDI ultra models.

Ultra? Its Audi’s designator for vehicles that have reduced emissions and fuel consumption.

The cars in question are powered by 2.0-liter turbo-diesels that produce 190-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. When fitted with an optional 7-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission, the A6 2.0 TDI ultra returns 53.5 mpg and emits just 114 g/km (183.5 g/mile) of CO2.

European Union legislation calls for OEMs to have vehicles with a fleet average of 130 g/km by 2015, so clearly the cars in question here are on the good side of that number by a non-trivial amount.

What’s more, let’s face it: politicians the world over like lux. Of the cars that the German politicians will be in, Wayne Griffiths, head of Sales Germany at Audi AG, said, “The A6 ultra is a prime example of our efficiency philosophy, combining low consumption with Audi sportiness and luxury-class comfort.”

Clean, green and comfy.