Energy tax: VSPV regards a 14-cent reduction as too small.

The Mobility Association VSPV welcomes the planned reduction of the energy tax on gasoline and diesel, but regards the relief for transport companies as insufficient. The federal and state governments have agreed to reduce the energy tax by 14 cents per liter by the end of 2026. Together with the correspondingly lower value-added tax, the relief is expected to amount to around 17 cents per liter. The implementation is planned for October 1, 2026.

"The federal government has chosen the right instrument. The energy tax relieves commuters and businesses alike, right down to the ambulance," says VSPV managing director Sascha Waltemate.

A reduction in value-added tax, however, would not have relieved companies eligible for input tax deduction accordingly.

Trade association expects a 74-cent per-liter increase in burden

For commercial enterprises, the net price of fuel is decisive above all. According to the VSPV, diesel net price in August 2024 was €1.30 per liter. In August 2025 it was €1.33 and in August 2026 already €1.87. For September 2026 the association cites an average of €2.07 as well as peak values of around €2.185 per liter.

Based on this information, the net price compared with August 2025 has risen by 74 cents per liter. The planned reduction of the energy tax by 14 cents thus computationally offsets almost 19 percent of this difference. Compared with the price level named by the association for August 2026, the relief amounts to about a quarter of the increase.

Taxi example shows remaining burden

Which magnitude the higher fuel costs in operation can reach is illustrated by the VSPV with a calculation example. A taxi with a monthly distance of 6,000 kilometers and a consumption of eight liters per 100 kilometers thus requires 480 liters of fuel per month.

With a price premium of 74 cents per liter, additional costs of around €355 per month arise compared with the previous year's level. A reduction of the energy tax by 14 cents per liter would offset around €67 of that.

For ambulances or coach buses with higher mileage and higher consumption, the remaining monthly extra burden could reach several hundred euros per vehicle, according to the association. The VSPV points in particular to transport companies whose prices are fixed by authorities or contractually agreed and who therefore cannot pass on higher fuel costs in the short term.

“From 74 cents of additional costs per liter, the state takes 14 cents from us. Four-fifths of the price increase remain with the companies,” says Waltemate.

The association's first chairman, Jörg Füchtenschnieder, evaluates the economic impact far more critically. “This reduction does not save a single operation. It buys it weeks,” says Füchtenschnieder. According to the association, the measure is not enough to compensate for the economic consequences of the higher fuel prices for particularly affected companies.

VSPV calls for a permanent mechanism

The association also criticizes the temporary nature. Instead of individual relief measures, the VSPV calls for a legally anchored mechanism that automatically kicks in at a predetermined price increase. The amount of relief should be linked to additionally generated tax revenues.

A fuel-price cap is viewed by the association as critical. An intervention in price formation could, according to the VSPV’s assessment, pose risks to the supply. A rule-bound return of tax revenues would, by contrast, come without a direct intervention in price formation. The federal government plans to discuss a temporary fuel-price cap with the oil industry. This is to be introduced no later than January 1, 2027.

Implementation by October 1 in focus

For transport companies, swift implementation is now crucial. The VSPV calls on the Bundestag and the Bundesrat to exploit the available possibilities to shorten the parliamentary deadlines.

“Every day of delay will be paid from the coffers of our member companies,” says VSPV General Authorized Signatory Patrick Meinhardt. The Bundestag and the Bundesrat should therefore use the existing possibilities to accelerate the procedure. The planned start on October 1 requires correspondingly swift parliamentary implementation.

Association rejects criticism of targeting accuracy

The VSPV also opposes criticism from consumer protection advocates and parts of the opposition, who say that the energy tax cut is not sufficiently targeted. In the association’s view, the measure fulfils its purpose because it directly relieves fuel buyers.