Filling up on the German Autobahn costs 33 cents a litre more
The ADAC ran two weeks of price data from 14,000 stations. The gap between motorway and ordinary roads is large — and the gap between motorway stations themselves is almost as large.
Meridians Reise-Redaktion
Published 1 September 2026 · Updated 1 September 2026 · 5 min read
AutomotiveThe short answer
- The ADAC analysed prices at more than 14,000 German filling stations between 6 and 19 April 2026, using the federal fuel price transparency register.
- Super E10 averaged 2.43 euros a litre on the motorway against 2.10 off it; diesel 2.61 against 2.28 — roughly 33 cents in both cases.
- Motorway stations differ enormously among themselves: diesel ranged from 2.25 to 2.75 euros a litre, a spread of just over 50 cents.
- The figures exist because German operators must report every price change in real time to the Federal Cartel Office.
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Every driver in Germany knows motorway fuel is dearer. What nobody could say precisely was how much dearer — until the ADAC, the country largest motoring club, ran two weeks of data from the federal fuel price register. This is not a sample taken at a handful of service areas. It covers more than 14,000 filling stations, because German law requires all of them to report.
What was measured
The survey period ran from 6 to 19 April 2026. Average prices at motorway stations were compared with average prices away from the motorway, separately for Super E10 petrol and diesel. The ADAC published the analysis on 7 July 2026.
- Super E10, motorway — 2.43 euros per litre — average across all motorway stations in the survey period
- Super E10, off the motorway — 2.10 euros per litre — difference of roughly 33 cents per litre
- Diesel, motorway — 2.61 euros per litre — average across all motorway stations in the survey period
- Diesel, off the motorway — 2.28 euros per litre — difference again roughly 33 cents per litre
What it means per tankful
Thirty-three cents a litre sounds trivial. On a 50-litre fill it is 16.50 euros for the same fuel; on the 70-litre tank of an estate car or camper van, 23.10 euros. Whether leaving the motorway is worth it largely answers itself — the detour would have to be very long to burn 16 euros.
Motorway stations are not all the same
The more useful finding is the spread among motorway stations themselves. Super E10 ranged from 2.06 to 2.54 euros a litre, about 48 cents apart. Diesel ran from 2.25 to 2.75 euros, just over 50 cents. In the southern federal states the ADAC recorded motorway-versus-road gaps of up to 43 cents. Which is to say: some motorway stations undercut the off-motorway average.
Why these numbers exist at all
The data comes from a statutory reporting duty. Companies that operate public filling stations in Germany, or that set their prices, must report every price change for Super E5, Super E10 and diesel in real time to the fuel market transparency unit at the Bundeskartellamt, the Federal Cartel Office. The unit says it covers around 15,000 stations and passes the data to licensed consumer information services — apps, comparison portals, satnav systems. It explicitly does not run a consumer portal of its own.
Sources
Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.
- 33 Cent/Liter teurer: Lohnt sich das Abfahren von der Autobahn zum Tanken? — full survey of more than 14,000 stations via the MTS-K register, 6–19 April 2026; Super E10 2.43 vs 2.10 euros, diesel 2.61 vs 2.28 euros; ranges 2.06–2.54 and 2.25–2.75 euros (published 07/07/2026, retrieved 01/09/2026)ADAC
- Markttransparenzstelle für Kraftstoffe — real-time reporting duty for Super E5, Super E10 and diesel, around 15,000 stations covered, data passed to licensed consumer information services, no consumer portal of its own (retrieved 01/09/2026)Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office)
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Meridians Reise-Redaktion is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.
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