Germans Never Paid More for Fuel, April Broke All Records

(Patria) - The latest analysis by the German automobile club ADAC for April 2026 presents worrying data on mobility costs in Germany.

Drivers faced the highest fuel prices last month since official statistical measurements have existed, reports Index.

April has thus officially become the most expensive month for refueling in German history.

Drivers using Super E10 gasoline paid an average of 2.109 euros per liter during the month. The situation was even worse for diesel vehicle owners, where the average price reached 2.263 euros per liter.

This surpassed the previous record for diesel, set a month earlier, by almost ten cents per liter, while Super E10 exceeded the previous maximum from the crisis year 2022.

The strength of this price increase is best illustrated by a comparison with the beginning of the year. Compared to January, drivers paid about 37 cents more per liter of gasoline in April. For diesel, the jump was even greater, with the price increasing by more than 57 cents per liter.

Such an increase in just a few months has further increased the financial pressure on citizens.

The beginning of the month was the worst. Specifically, April 7th recorded the most expensive day for refueling diesel since the start of statistics, with a price of 2.446 euros per liter.

Just one day earlier, gasoline reached an average daily price of 2.191 euros per liter, which is only slightly below the absolute record from March 2022.

One of the key reasons for this situation is linked to the introduction of the so-called Austrian model. According to this legal rule, introduced on April 1st, gas stations are only allowed to increase fuel prices once a day, exactly at noon.

The goal of this measure was to increase transparency and price stability for consumers. However, according to ADAC data, the effect was the complete opposite. Since the introduction of the new system, the level of fuel prices has significantly increased.

It is particularly concerning that the price increase did not follow the situation on the crude oil market. Although the price of oil in April was lower than in March, and the euro-dollar exchange rate was more favorable for imports, oil companies did not pass these advantages on to the final fuel prices.

Instead, prices remained at a record high, significantly higher than what market factors like oil prices or currency fluctuations would justify.

According to ADAC's analysis, the new rules are currently associated with a general increase in mobility costs to an unprecedented level.

As of May 1st, a state fuel discount is in effect, with which the German government attempted to mitigate the sharp rise in gasoline and diesel prices after the start of the war with Iran. However, according to ADAC's analysis, oil companies have not passed on part of this discount to drivers.

Germany reduced the energy tax by about 14 cents per liter from May 1st. When VAT is included, drivers should receive a total relief of approximately 17 cents.

However, ADAC claims that this discount has not yet been fully passed on to end customers.

According to the current analysis of fuel prices in Germany, the price of a liter of Super E10 gasoline has fallen by 7.8 cents in a week, while diesel has become cheaper by 10.5 cents.

On Tuesday, May 5th, the average price of a liter of gasoline was 2.025 euros, while a liter of diesel cost 2.095 euros.