The energy tax: the biggest difference
The energy tax (Energiesteuer) is a fixed amount per litre, independent of the purchase price: 65.45 cents for petrol and 47.04 cents for diesel. These rates have essentially applied since 2003. Diesel is therefore taxed about 18 cents per litre lower. Value-added tax of 19 per cent is added on top of everything and widens the gap a little further.
The tax advantage is offset elsewhere: vehicle tax (Kfz-Steuer) for diesel cars is considerably higher than for petrol cars. If you drive little, you therefore often end up paying more with diesel, all things considered.
From 1 May to 30 June 2026, the energy tax on both fuels was temporarily cut by 14.04 cents per litre. How much of that reached the pump is explained in the guide Price differences.
The CO₂ price hits diesel harder
Since 2021, every tonne of CO₂ from petrol, diesel, heating oil and gas has carried a surcharge in Germany. In 2026 the price lies in a corridor of 55 to 65 euros per tonne. Because burning a litre of diesel produces more CO₂ than a litre of petrol, the surcharge is higher for diesel: according to the German motoring club ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club), it comes to roughly 15.7 to 18.6 cents per litre for petrol and 17.3 to 20.5 cents for diesel in 2026, in each case including value-added tax.
For 2027, the federal government wants to keep the same corridor; the cabinet adopted a draft law to that effect in August 2026. The European emissions trading system for fuels (ETS 2) is now due to start only in 2028, instead of 2027 as originally planned.
Before tax, diesel is often more expensive
Strip out the taxes and diesel often costs more than petrol. One reason: diesel and light heating oil are almost the same product and come from the same part of the crude oil in the refinery. When demand for heating oil rises in autumn and winter, diesel also becomes scarcer. Add to that lorry traffic, agriculture and industry, which need a lot of diesel worldwide.
That is why it keeps changing which fuel is cheaper at the pump. Sometimes diesel is clearly below Super E10, sometimes almost level or even above. According to the ADAC, the tax share often makes up more than half of the price per litre, more for petrol than for diesel.
What this means for you
Which fuel may go into your tank is decided by your engine – not by the price. For petrol cars, E10 is worth a look: it is usually a few cents cheaper than E5 (more in the guide E10 or E5?).
Whatever the grade, you save most by comparing before you fill up: on every city page you can see all stations with their prices for diesel, Super E5 and E10. And since the 12 noon rule, fuel is usually cheapest in the morning – see The best time to fill up.
Sources
- ADAC: CO₂ tax – what the increase means for drivers (as of 26 August 2026, in German)
- ADAC: petrol price and diesel price – how fuel prices come about (as of 18 August 2026, in German)
- German Bundestag: temporary cut in the energy tax on petrol and diesel (in German)
- BDEW (German energy and water industry association): emissions trading – ETS, ETS 2 and the CO₂ price explained (in German)
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