German diesel cheaper than petrol for first time since early March

The price of diesel at German petrol stations fell below that of E10 for the first time since the beginning of March, the ADAC motoring association reported on Sunday.

The ADAC calculated the countrywide average on Saturday at €1.990 ($2.314) per litre of diesel, around half a cent cheaper than the E10 price of €1.994.

Diesel was €0.009 cents cheaper than on Friday, while the price of E10 remained unchanged.

At the beginning of April - when fuel prices reached a peak due to the war in Iran - a litre of diesel was over €0.25 more expensive than E10, even though it is taxed at a lower rate in Germany.

The government has temporarily cut fuel duties by €0.167 cents per litre to ease the burden on motorists.

Diesel is more price sensitive in Germany as the country has to import some of its supplies. This resulted in diesel prices also rising more rapidly in 2022 at the start of the Ukraine war, when it remained more expensive than E10 for months.

Until the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions, Germany benefited from relatively cheap Russian diesel imports.

In Germany, diesel consumption is higher than that of petrol, owing to the fact that lorries tend to be diesel-powered. Petrol-powered cars are more common among private motorists.