Germany Fuel Prices

Fuel

• Premium unleaded (Super / Super 95) is readily available in Germany. This petrol is also called Super E5, Super 95 E5, Super 95 Octan, Super bleifrei, Superbenzin or E5 Eurosuper (95 is the octane number and E5 indicates that there is 5% bioethanol in the gasoline).
• E10 (Super 95 E10 / Super E10) is sold next to Super on a large scale. This is premium unleaded petrol with no 5%, but 10% admixture of bioethanol. The fuel station always indicates with stickers that it is E10. Note: Before traveling, check whether your vehicle is suitable for driving on E10. Gasoline with lead replacement is only available on a limited basis. For older cars that still require leaded petrol, a lead substitute for petrol stations can be bought that can be added to the petrol.
• E85 (E85 / Bioethanol 85) is a biofuel mix of 15% petrol and 85% bioethanol that is exclusively intended for special flexifuel cars. Note: E85 is not suitable for regular petrol cars. If you accidentally fill E85, do not drive any further and have the fuel removed to prevent damage. E85 is available in Germany at around 300 filling stations. However, since E85 is no longer exempt from energy tax, this fuel has become more expensive in Germany and is offered at fewer filling stations. For more information go to bdbe.de/tanken.
• Diesel is readily available in Germany. Special winter diesel is also available in winter, which crystallizes less quickly in cold weather.
• LPG (Autogas / Flüssiggas) is currently available in Germany at approximately 7300 filling stations. Along the road are often signs indicating whether a Tankstelle also Autogas / Flüssiggas can be refueled. For an overview of LPG filling stations, go to eg autogastanken.de, gas-tankstellen.de or mylpg.eu.
• Natural gas (CNG / Erdgas) is reasonably good to good. There are approximately 870 natural gas filling stations in Germany. For an up-to-date overview of all locations, visit cngeurope.com or use the PitPoint app for IOS or Android to find natural gas filling stations. For more information see also erdgas-fahren.de and gas24.de.
• Electricity. Germany has about 25,000 charging stations (source: eafo.eu), most of which are located in the middle and west of the country and in and around the big cities. (For comparison: the Netherlands has about 34,800 according to eafo.eu.) The network of public charging points has been expanded, but traveling with an electric car through Germany requires some planning and preparation. For an up-to-date overview of charging point locations at chargemap.com, chargepoints.com, plugsurfing.com, www.bem-ev.de and ev-charging.com, or search for charging stations via, for example, the Chargemap (IOS and Android) apps , Plugsurfing (IOS and Android) or The New Motion (IOS and Android).

Petrol stations opening hours

Most tank sets are open day and night along the Autobahn. In and around the villages and towns and along the roads there are enough filling stations, which are generally open from 8 to 20 hours. In large cities, filling stations are often longer open, while in villages with little traffic the opening hours can be more limited.

How to pay

You can pay cash at petrol stations. Bank cards and credit cards are also accepted at the cash register at virtually all gas stations.

Tank vending machines

There are unmanned petrol stations in Germany that can be refueled 24 hours a day. At vending machines can be paid with a bank card or credit card. Bank cards and credit cards, however, may sometimes not be accepted.

Note: When paying with a bank card, a certain standard amount of € 100-150 is often first placed on the account as a deposit (pre-authorization) to check whether the balance is sufficient for a full tank. Usually the amount for which is refueled is depreciated within 20 minutes and the remainder of the money is released again, but sometimes it can also take a few days to two weeks before the reserved amount can be used again.

Cheap refueling

In Germany fuel prices can fluctuate strongly at the pump: in the early evening hours (between 6 and 7 pm) prices are often the lowest, while later in the evening and at night (roughly between 11 and 5 pm) they are usually the highest to be. Fuel prices are usually lower on working days than on Sundays and public holidays.

In general, fuel prices at petrol stations slightly further away from the Autobahn are considerably lower than the prices at petrol stations located directly on the Autobahn. See adac.de for a list and a map with cheaper petrol stations near the Autobahn.

At an Autohof (a roadside restaurant with a petrol station and a large parking space for truck drivers along an exit of the Autobahn), it is usually cheaper to refuel than at an ordinary petrol station or a Raststätte (a roadside restaurant directly along the Autobahn). Watch signs with Autohof along the Autobahn.

The price of fuel sometimes also differs considerably per provider. Look for petrol stations with the lowest prices in the neighborhood or in a certain place on for example clever-tanken.de or use the app clever-tanken.de for IOS or Android. Because the German government wants to promote the transparency of fuel prices for consumers, you will find a list of approved websites on bundeskartellamt.de where you can compare fuel prices.

Spare fuel

It is recommended not to carry more than 10 liter of fuel in a spare tank.

Here you will find more information about Germany.