Road traffic in Germany remains almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels in 2024

The figures also show that energy consumption in road traffic has settled at a largely constant level since 2021. After the renewed increase, consumption in road transport stabilized from 2021 onwards at around 2,100 petajoules, significantly below the record but without any further downward movement. In 2020, energy consumption in overall transport had collapsed by 18.4 percent compared to 2019 due to the pandemic. In 2024, according to the Federal Statistical Office's evaluations, consumption was largely constant compared to previous years and was even 11 percent below the peak from 2019.

Fossil fuels continue to dominate

Conventional fuels dominate the drive types: Diesel and gasoline still account for more than 97 percent of consumption. Diesel, including biodiesel admixtures, came to 60.8 percent of consumption, gasoline and bioethanol to 37.2 percent. Electricity and gaseous fuels each accounted for 1.0 percent. Road traffic in Germany continues to be heavily dependent on fossil energies.

Electricity consumption grows – from a low level

Nevertheless, a closer look reveals a shift: Electricity consumption in road transport rose sharply in 2024 compared to the previous year, by 32 percent. This reflects the growing number of electric cars, whose sales continued to increase last year. However, the growth of the e-fleet starts from a low base level, according to DLR and the Federal Environment Agency. Although the number of registered electric vehicles is growing dynamically, it starts from a low base level. The large stock of conventionally powered passenger cars and, above all, commercial vehicles is long-lasting, which is currently still slowing down a rapid fleet renewal.

Despite the electric boom, road traffic remains a fossil giant. Electric vehicles are only slowly making progress. At the same time, specialist authorities note that efficiency gains of individual drives are partly eaten up by rebound effects and a trend toward heavier vehicles. Those who save money thanks to more economical drives or lower operating costs with electric cars tend to drive more, according to transport analyses. Overall, savings are reduced considerably as a result. The trend toward heavier vehicles such as SUVs also partly offsets the specific consumption advantages.

Why consumption is not falling

Specialist authorities such as the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Federal Environment Agency explain the lack of success of the measures with growing transport performance: Kilometers driven continue to rise in both passenger and freight transport, particularly on the road. To counteract the stagnation in energy consumption, structural measures would be necessary from the perspective of DLR and the Federal Environment Agency, such as a greater shift of freight transport to rail, a faster fleet conversion, and regulatory interventions such as speed limits or city tolls, for which political majorities have so far been lacking.

In the entire transport sector, around 97.5 percent of final energy consumption in 2024 was attributable to fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and kerosene, according to the Federal Environment Agency. Germany's overall primary energy consumption fell in the meantime to the level of the early 1970s, according to AG Energiebilanzen, an association of energy producers and research institutes, while transport maintains roughly its relative share.

Who consumes how much?

According to the statistics office, the figures differ slightly from those of the Federal Environment Agency because a different statistical approach was chosen. Regarding the distribution of consumption among consumer groups, 58.0 percent (1,238 petajoules) of road transport is attributable to private households and 42.0 percent (896 petajoules) to the economy – private households are 58 percent responsible, according to the data, while 42 percent falls on the economy. Passenger car traffic is thus the single largest factor in private household energy consumption.

Overall, the data paint a picture of a sector that, despite growing e-car registrations and slight efficiency gains, is almost stagnating in its energy consumption. The share of renewable and electric drives in road traffic remains in the single-digit percentage range, while the German federal government's climate targets call for a significantly stronger reduction in CO₂ emissions. The coming years are likely to show whether political measures such as speed limits, city tolls, or a greater shift to rail can initiate a turnaround.