“That’s just bold”
Filling up on motorways is up to 70 cents more expensive
06/22/2023, 11:10 am
The situation on the fuel market seems to be easing, but an investigation by the ADAC is likely to cause dissatisfaction among drivers again. The differences in fuel prices on and off motorways vary widely: If you leave on time, you can save 20 euros.
If you fill up at the motorway service station on the way to the summer holidays, you often pay significantly more. This is the result of an ADAC study, which compared the prices at rest stops with those at the gas stations at the next exit. Price differences of more than 20 euros are possible per tank filling.
The data was collected during the current ADAC service area test in March. At that time, there was an average saving of just under 42 cents per liter for E10 by driving off the motorway. For diesel, it was just under 36 cents. The traffic club even found a difference of almost 70 cents at the top.
“I have no understanding of the extent”
“The price differences that our sample showed in March were massive,” says ADAC fuel market expert Christian Laberer. “Since then, the fuel market has calmed down overall, but the price differences between the filling stations on the motorway and those off the motorway are still very significant. The basic statement of our study has therefore not changed.”
A recent look at the fuel price data also confirms this. Often with price differences between 30 and 40 cents, but sometimes also above or below. Basically, filling up next to the motorway is always worthwhile, explains the ADAC and encourages drivers to check the prices regularly, for example via an app.
ADAC traffic president Gerhard Hillebrand clearly criticizes the high differences: “When mineral oil companies sell their fuel on the motorway a few cents more expensive than elsewhere, that is understandable. However, I have no understanding of the extent of the price surcharges found in our sample,” he emphasized. “That’s just cheeky.”