The German Ministry of Transport has proposed new toll rates to hit hauliers in the pocket from December 1, 2023.
According to the federal government’s “Third Amendment to Road Toll Regulations” project, an additional partial rate for CO2 emissions related to road transport will come into effect on that date.
Under an agreement by the ruling coalition, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMDV) intends to add a CO2 emissions tax of €200 per tonne to road tolls for heavy goods vehicles.
This means that, for example, for three-axle heavy goods vehicles weighing over 18 tonnes with 3 axles, depending on the emission class, there will be an additional 6.3 euro cents (Euro 6) to 15.8 euro cents (Euro 1 and 0) per kilometre driven.
It is worth noting that the additional CO2 charge accounts for 43% and 32.5% of the total rate per kilometre in these cases. Its introduction will therefore be associated with an increase of around 70-80%.
The project also envisages expanding the toll to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. This will happen on July 1, 2024. The additional CO2 rate per kilometre travelled by vehicles weighing from 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes will be between 3.7 and 8 euro cents, depending on the emission class. The total kilometre rate including all components (infrastructure costs, noise pollution, air pollution, and CO2 emissions) will be 15.1 euro cents for vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes with Euro 6 and 24.8 euro cents for trucks with Euro 1 or lower.
The scheme provides exemptions for vehicles used by craftsmen for their own transport below 7.5 tonnes and for all “emission-free vehicles.” However, the latter will initially be exempt from tolls until December 31, 2025. After that, the ministry plans to reduce the external cost component of the toll for this group of vehicles by 75%.
Below is a table of toll rates presented in the “Third Amendment to Toll Regulations” project.
Emission class Euro 6
| CATEGORY | CO2 EMISSION CLASS | ZGG/ NUMBER OF AXES |
INFRASTRUCTURE TAX |
AIR Pollution TAX | NOISE | CO2 EMISSIONS TAX | TOTAL TOLL |
| A | 1 | 3.5 to 7.49 t* | €0.052 | €0.011 | €0.014 | €0.074 | €0.151 |
| A | 1 | 7.5t to 11.99t | €0.066 | €0.015 | €0.016 | €0.080 | €0.177 |
| A | 1 | 12T to 18 | €0.107 | €0.015 | €0.016 | €0.100 | €0.238 |
| A | 1 | >18 t with up to 3 axles | €0.141 | €0.022 | €0.016 | €0.134 | €0.313 |
| A | 1 | >18 t with 4 axles | €0.155 | €0.023 | €0.012 | €0.134 | €0.324 |
| A | 1 | >18 t with 5 axles | €0.155 | €0.023 | €0.012 | €0.158 | €0.348 |
* from 07/01/2024
Emission class Euro 5/EEV
| CATEGORY | CO2 EMISSION CLASS | ZGG/ NUMBER OF AXES |
INFRASTRUCTURE TAX |
AIR Pollution TAX | NOISE | CO2 EMISSIONS TAX | TOTAL TOLL |
| B | 1 | 3.5 to 7.49 t* | €0.052 | €0.043 | €0.014 | €0.080 | €0.189 |
| B | 1 | 7.5t to 11.99t | €0.066 | €0.043 | €0.016 | €0.080 | €0.205 |
| B | 1 | 12T to 18 | €0.107 | €0.052 | €0.016 | €0.100 | €0.275 |
| B | 1 | >18 t with up to 3 axles | €0.141 | €0.062 | €0.016 | €0.134 | €0.353 |
| B | 1 | >18 t with 4 axles | €0.155 | €0.062 | €0.012 | €0.134 | €0.363 |
| B | 1 | >18 t with 5 axles | €0.155 | €0.062 | €0.012 | €0.160 | €0.389 |
Emission class Euro 4
| CATEGORY | CO2 EMISSION CLASS | ZGG/ NUMBER OF AXES |
INFRASTRUCTURE TAX |
AIR Pollution TAX | NOISE | CO2 EMISSIONS TAX | TOTAL TOLL |
| C | 1 | 3.5 to 7.49 t* | €0.052 | €0.055 | €0.014 | €0.080 | €0.201 |
| C | 1 | 7.5t to 11.99t | €0.066 | €0.059 | €0.016 | €0.080 | €0.221 |
| C | 1 | 12T to 18 | €0.107 | €0.063 | €0.016 | €0.100 | €0.286 |
| C | 1 | >18 t with up to 3 axles | €0.141 | €0.080 | €0.016 | €0.134 | €0.371 |
| C | 1 | >18 t with 4 axles | €0.155 | €0.087 | €0.012 | €0.134 | €0.388 |
| C | 1 | >18 t with 5 axles | €0.155 | €0.087 | €0.012 | €0.160 | €0.414 |
Emission class Euro 3
| CATEGORY | CO2 EMISSION CLASS | ZGG/ NUMBER OF AXES |
INFRASTRUCTURE TAX |
AIR Pollution TAX | NOISE | CO2 EMISSIONS TAX | TOTAL TOLL |
| D | 1 | 3.5 to 7.49 t* | €0.052 | €0.079 | €0.016 | €0.080 | €0.227 |
| D | 1 | 7.5t to 11.99t | €0.066 | €0.088 | €0.016 | €0.080 | €0.250 |
| D | 1 | 12T to 18 | €0.107 | €0.101 | €0.016 | €0.104 | €0.328 |
| D | 1 | >18 t with up to 3 axles | €0.141 | €0.134 | €0.016 | €0.138 | €0.429 |
| D | 1 | >18 t with 4 axles | €0.155 | €0.149 | €0.012 | €0.138 | €0.454 |
| D | 1 | >18 t with 5 axles | €0.155 | €0.149 | €0.012 | €0.162 | €0.478 |
The Federal Ministry of Transport (BMDV) sent the „Third Amendment to Road Toll Regulations” project to industry associations on Wednesday, giving them about a day and a half to comment on the document. The deadline expired yesterday, according to the German newspaper „Tagesspiegel.”
The ministry estimates that the increases and toll expansion will bring in additional revenue of €7.62 billion per year.
On May 10, the government will first consider the project, followed by the parliamentary procedure.
In cooperation with Agnieszka Kulikowska-Wielgus