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The German Federal Government has last week approved important changes to the Federal Highways Toll Act. According to the German government the goal of this legislative proposal is to implement the change to the Eurovignette Directive that entered into effect in March 2022.

• Introduction of a CO2 surcharge: Based on a price of 200 euros per ton of CO2, this results in a CO2 surcharge of 0.158 euros per kilometre for a vehicle above 18 t with 5 axles and more. The CO2 emission classifications will be based on the Vecto baseline and registration year of the truck. A calculator is currently in preparation which will allow to verify the class assigned to each truck. More information on the toll rates can be found here.
• Obligation to pay toll for vehicles of 3.5 tonnes and up From 1 July 2024, the obligation to pay toll will be expanded to include lorries with a technically permissible maximum laden mass of 3.5 tonnes and above. Zero-emission vehicles will be exempt from tolls until 31 December 2025. From 1 January 2026, a proportional toll rate reduced by 75 percent will be charged to this category of truck for infrastructure costs, plus the proportional toll rates for air and noise pollution.
• Earmarking of toll revenue: Expected additional revenue from the CO2 surcharge would be used for measures in the area of mobility, with a specific focus on improving the federal rail network.

The German Federal government published an overview of the reform here (in English).

CLECAT member association DSLV is particularly critical of the timetable for the measures and advocated postponing the introduction of the CO2 surcharge until after the market for alternative drive systems had ramped up. The fact that the conversion of transport to climate-friendly alternatives is a necessity was not questioned at any time.