Toll prices in Germany are skyrocketing

27 September 2023

Despite criticism from the transport industry, the German government has decided that the prices of the German Maut will rise sharply from December 1st 2023. This is due to the increase in the CO₂ tax that takes effect this year. Does your transport go to or through Germany? Then you should anticipate a considerable increase in transport costs.

What is Maut?

Maut is the German word for toll. Since 2005, lorries have been paying the LKW-Maut on German motorways. It was introduced, among other things, to counter congestion on crucial motorways, to generate extra money for the maintenance of the road network and to invest in rail transport.

The exact Maut per vehicle depends on its number of axles (including trailers), CO₂ emissions, noise standards and emission class. A document must be present in the vehicle showing its euro class.

At the moment, the toll is still €0.19 per kilometre and is levied on heavy goods traffic using the motorways or Bundesstraßen (national highways). It currently applies to vehicles or vehicle combinations with a permissible maximum weight of 7.5 tons or more.

What will change?

Earlier this year, the German toll rates already increased by a few per cent, but at the end of this year they will rise even further. Germany is going to introduce a CO₂ tax. As a result, from 1 December 2023 you will pay a surcharge of €200 per ton of CO₂.

In addition, the taxable weight of vehicles will change from 7.5 tons to 3.5 tons from 1 June 2024. This means that lighter lorries will also fall under this regulation.

From 1 December, the price of the Maut will increase from €0.19 per kilometre to €0.39 per kilometre. This means that truck taxes next year will grow from €8 million to €15 million.

Improvement of rail and electric transport

In addition to increasing the CO₂ tax, the German government wants to improve the rail infrastructure in the coming years. Modernising the railway is expected to require at least €45 billion by 2027. The government has decided that a large part of the revenues from the Maut will go to Deutsche Bahn.

For the time being, zero-emission vehicles are in luck: these trucks are exempt from tolls until 2025. However, after that they will pay 25% of the regular Maut rate. Depending on various factors, including distance, it may therefore be financially beneficial for you to transport your goods by electric means.

The German government will provide a subsidy for fast charging points for electric trucks and vans, with a total of €400 million reserved for this purpose. The government hopes that more companies will invest in transport via electric vehicles in the future.

Questions?

Do you have any more questions about Maut? Or can we help you with something else? Please feel free to contact us.

On the Toll Collect website, you can find all the roads where Maut is mandatory.