How German truck toll cost has evolved: 2022 vs 2026 fleet impact

This article compares the per-kilometre toll structure that was in force in 2022–2023 with the current 2026 rate matrix, focused on what's actually moved for a typical fleet. It's written for TCO modellers, fleet renewal decision-makers, and carriers running historical cost analysis or contract benchmarking. For the current 2026 rate matrix with full CO₂ class detail, see the Toll Collect rates guide.

The 2022–2023 structure: three components, four weight bands

From October 2021 through November 2023, Toll Collect's rate matrix combined three charge components — infrastructure costs, air pollution and noise — across four weight bands and seven EURO emission classes. The rate range ran roughly 7.9 ct/km (EURO 6, lightest band) to 35.4 ct/km (EURO 0/1, heaviest band) after the 1 January 2023 indexation.

The 2023 step raised rates across the matrix, concentrating the increase on the air pollution component rather than infrastructure. Older EURO classes saw the largest percentage rises:

• EURO 5 >18 t with 4+ axles: +22.8%
• EURO 0/1 (oldest): +36.2%
• EURO 6 (cleanest): +3.8% to +24.1% depending on weight band

This was the last structural snapshot before the CO₂ component arrived.

The 2026 structure: four components, including CO₂

Two changes since 2023 fundamentally reshape the rate matrix:

1 December 2023: CO₂ component added. A fourth charge band — CO₂ emission — was layered on top of infrastructure, air pollution and noise. For a EURO 6 articulated lorry in CO₂ class 1, the CO₂ surcharge alone is approximately 15.8 ct/km. The CO₂ class differentiation means two EURO 6 vehicles built one year apart can pay materially different toll based on their certified CO₂ value, not just their emission class.

1 July 2024: threshold dropped to 3.5 t. The toll obligation extended below 7.5 t for the first time, bringing approximately 35,000 additional light commercial vehicles into scope — primarily last-mile delivery and regional distribution work that had been outside the toll regime for two decades.

1 December 2025: ZEV exemption to 2031. Battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell trucks remain toll-exempt until 30 June 2031 under the Vierte Gesetz zur Änderung mautrechtlicher Vorschriften, providing a substantial multi-year planning runway for ZEV procurement.

2022 vs 2026: what an actual fleet pays

For a EURO 6 articulated lorry running 100,000 km/year predominantly on motorways, the back-of-envelope comparison:

For a typical EURO 6 vehicle, 2026 toll cost has approximately doubled from 2022 — driven almost entirely by the CO₂ component. The class-5-vs-class-1 spread within EURO 6 (~€13,300/year) is now the same order of magnitude as the entire 2022 toll bill for one vehicle.

What this means for fleet renewal decisions

Three concrete consequences for carriers running a renewal analysis:

• CO₂ class certification matters financially. When tendering for new tractor units in 2026, the certified CO₂ value flows directly into per-kilometre toll cost. A unit with the same EURO 6 nameplate but a worse CO₂ class can carry €5,000–€10,000/year more in toll across the asset life. CO₂ class belongs in the comparison spreadsheet alongside fuel consumption.
• ZEV TCO is materially better than it looks pre-toll. The €209,000 avoided toll cost across the 2025–2031 ZEV exemption window for a single 100,000 km/year EURO 6 unit substantially closes the upfront CAPEX gap to ICE equivalents — particularly when paired with the existing federal subsidies. For high-mileage long-haul work, ZEV breakeven is now achievable within the exemption window if depot charging is solved.
• Contracts indexed only to "Toll Collect rate" need scrutiny. Customer contracts written before December 2023 that simply reference "current Toll Collect rate" without specifying the rate matrix can leave the carrier carrying the CO₂ surcharge increase. Renegotiation conversations are easier when carriers can quantify exactly how much margin the change consumed.

2027 outlook: stability with one open question

The annual indexation for 2026 was modest — the structural change has played out. The open question for 2027 is whether the CO₂ class boundaries themselves get re-indexed: today's CO₂ class 1 may become class 2 if the certification thresholds tighten, automatically raising per-kilometre toll on vehicles whose physical performance hasn't changed. Carriers buying new tractor units in 2026 should ask manufacturers explicitly about the CO₂ class headroom (how far is the actual certified value below the next class boundary?) to avoid an involuntary toll-class downgrade in a future indexation.

For current 2026 rates and CO₂ class detail

This article is a comparison reference focused on the 2022–2026 trajectory. For the complete current rate matrix — every weight band, every EURO and CO₂ class, the TollNow app, ZEV exemption mechanics and fleet planning implications — read Toll Collect rates: Germany truck toll guide.