The ADAC, Germany’s largest automobile association, is attempting to clarify its position amidst mounting public criticism surrounding rising fuel prices and the ongoing debate about carbon pricing. ADAC Traffic President Gerhard Hillebrand, in remarks published by the Funke-Mediengruppe, emphasized that the organization isn’t advocating for blanket increases in gasoline and diesel costs, but rather believes the issue is more nuanced than a simple price hike.
Hillebrand defended the principle of a carbon dioxide price as a potentially effective tool for advancing climate protection within the transportation sector. However, he cautioned that such price signals are only effective when viable alternatives exist for consumers. Currently, he argues, these alternatives – particularly in the realm of renewable fuels and electric mobility – remain inadequate. Raising prices without providing accessible alternatives, he warns, creates a double problem: it fails to meaningfully advance climate goals and simultaneously diminishes the affordability of essential mobility.
The ADAC president is now advocating for a corresponding reduction in electricity taxes for private consumers, a measure he believes is vital to incentivize electric vehicle adoption. For those drivers who continue to rely on combustion engines, Hillebrand called for significantly lower prices for alternative fuels. He specifically pointed to the long-overdue reform of the EU Energy Taxation Directive as a vehicle for achieving this, alongside stronger incentives for industrial investment in renewable energy production. He acknowledged the recent increase to the commuter allowance (Pendlerpauschale) by the federal government as a positive step.
Hillebrand’s previous, more indirect endorsement of higher fuel prices in the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” sparked a wave of complaints and inquiries from ADAC members, highlighting the sensitive nature of the issue and the organization’s delicate balancing act between representing the interests of drivers and contributing to broader environmental policy goals. This latest clarification underscores the political complexity surrounding energy policy in Germany, where the burden of climate transition is increasingly falling on consumers and the need for a coordinated approach involving infrastructure investment, technological innovation and carefully calibrated economic incentives. Critics argue, however, that even with these adjustments, the current trajectory risks disproportionately impacting lower-income households and hindering economic competitiveness.