Diesel price jumps by almost 12 cents week-on-week – ADAC considers overall fuel prices too high

The jump is even more extreme for diesel: "Am Vormittag um 10.00 Uhr war Diesel um 7 Cent teurer als zur selben Zeit am Dienstag." As a result, the price difference between the two fuel grades has shifted dramatically within days.

Price gap between diesel and E10 is melting away

Normally, diesel is cheaper than petrol. The reason is lower taxation: "Im langjährigen Schnitt ist Diesel deutlich mehr als 10 Cent billiger, weil der Kraftstoff niedriger besteuert wird." This relationship is currently suspended. "Am Dienstag waren es im Tagesdurchschnitt nur noch 1,3 Cent" price difference in favour of diesel – and "in der Momentaufnahme vom Mittwochvormittag war Diesel sogar wieder etwas teurer als E10."

ADAC expects diesel to soon be more expensive than E10 on a daily average

The ADAC expects this step to soon also be completed in the daily average. "Der ADAC geht davon aus, dass dies bald auch im Tagesdurchschnitt der Fall sein wird." The car club assesses the situation critically overall: "Der ADAC bewertet die aktuellen Spritpreise als zu hoch."

Geopolitical tensions drive up the oil price

The ADAC cites the oil market as the reason for the rapid increase. "Auch der Ölpreis hat in den letzten Tagen deutlich angezogen." Drivers are geopolitical tensions: "Ein wichtiger Treiber für den aktuellen Anstieg der Preise dürften die verschärften Spannungen zwischen den USA und dem Iran rund um die für den Ölhandel wichtige Straße von Hormus sein."

The fact that diesel is reacting particularly strongly is, in the ADAC's view, no coincidence. "Diesel gilt beim Preis als deutlich krisenanfälliger." This had already been shown in the past: "Während der Hochphase des Iran-Kriegs war der Kraftstoff zwischenzeitlich mehr als 25 Cent teurer als E10." Then as now, geopolitical upheavals in the oil market apparently have a stronger effect on the diesel price.

What makes the price so vulnerable to crises

The current development means noticeably higher costs per refuelling, especially for diesel vehicle drivers. While one litre of E10 became 5.9 cents more expensive week-on-week, diesel saw an increase of 11.7 cents – almost double.

It is unclear how long the price pressure will last. As long as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz support the oil price and no easing occurs, the ADAC tends to expect continued high fuel prices. Consumer advice centres regularly point out during such phases to compare prices at different petrol stations and to refuel in the early evening hours if possible, when prices typically fall.