Road charges have overtaken fuel as the biggest operating expense for heavy goods vehicles in parts of Europe.This is among the latest analysis from the International Road Transport Union (IRU).The report, titled "Moving Profitability: Trends in Fuels, Tolls and Costs in the EU", states that environmental charges and the introduction of a CO₂ component under the revised Eurovignette Directive are transforming the cost structure of European road freight transport.The IRU notes that fuel and tolls together account for a major proportion of the total cost of truck ownership.Tolls already represent up to 15% in Germany, excluding staff costs and overheads."Tolls have become a crucial driver of operating costs," the report said.It added that the change reflected how "fees are increasingly tied to both infrastructure wear and environmental performance".
Road charges exceed fuel in Austria, Germany and Hungary
Data collected by the IRU shows that in several countries, charges per kilometer already exceed the price of fuel.In Austria, the charge for a Euro VI articulated truck can be as high as €0.62 per km.The corresponding fuel intensity is around 0.46 euros per km.Germany.Here, from 2023 the charge is based on CO₂, increasing the charges for Euro VI vehicles by 83%.This made them higher than fuel costs on many routes.A similar trend is observed in Hungary, where the largest Euro 0 vehicles pay €1.48 per km.That's more than twice the cost of fuel.
The growing difference is mainly due to the mandatory inclusion of CO₂ emissions in the calculation of tolls.Nine EU member states have introduced the new component by mid-2025. Others are preparing to follow.Denmark's switch from a vignette to a distance-based system resulted in a fivefold increase in average truck tolls.The Netherlands plans to introduce a similar model in July 2026.
Fuel prices fall, but excise duties remain crucial
While tolls are rising, fuel prices have stabilized.The IRU recorded a weighted average EU diesel price of €1.54 per liter in August 2025. This is 2.6% lower year-on-year and 22% below 2022 levels. However, prices vary widely across the bloc, from €1.21 in Malta to €1.87 in Ireland, due to excise duties.Across the EU, taxes make up around half of the cost of fuel.The excise duty is on average 0.45 euros per liter, but varies from 0.33 euros in Bulgaria to 0.63 euros in Italy.It also has the highest total tax share – 61% – while Estonia is at the bottom with 45%.
Several countries offer partial excise duty rebates to freight operators, in some cases reducing the effective rate to the EU minimum.Breaking down the price structure, the IRU estimates that the crude oil component accounts for about 34% of the final retail price.Distribution costs have increased sharply, reaching €0.21 per liter in 2024, a 133% increase from 2015, while refining costs have fallen by 55% between 2022 and 2024.
Alternative fuels are gaining popularity
Diesel remains the benchmark for long-distance transport, but the composition of operating costs is changing.Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) – renewable diesel – was on average 22% more expensive than fossil diesel in 2025, except in Italy, where domestic production makes it slightly cheaper.Its carbon intensity is about 90% lower than diesel and can be used in conventional engines without modification.Compressed natural gas (CNG) prices have stabilized following energy market volatility in 2022.
In 2025.CNG was sold for €1.04 per kg in Poland and €1.27 per kg in Spain, while the average pre-tax price of natural gas in the EU was €0.55 per kg in 2024. The report also highlighted that electricity for refueling at landfills fell to €0.14 per kWh in 2024, down 22% year-on-year, although mass charging remained above0.40 euros per kWh.
Politics Shapes Profitability
According to the IRU, "the profitability of European freight transport depends less and less on crude oil prices and more on national fiscal and environmental decisions."With the EU's Emissions Trading System for Road Transport (ETS 2) coming into force in 2027, an extra €0.12 per liter could be added to diesel prices as suppliers pass on the cost of carbon allowances.The combined effect of CO₂ charges and fuel taxation is already changing the strategies of transport companies.
IRU figures show that the average charge for a Euro VI truck is €0.10 per km, compared to €0.036 per km for a zero-emissions vehicle - a reduction of 64%.In Germany, electric trucks and hydrogen trucks are completely tax-free, making them cheaper to operate over time than diesel vehicles, despite higher purchase costs.
New Carrier Cost Hierarchy
The report concludes with the conclusion that operators must now consider environmental charges as well as fuel markets.Toll systems based on distance and carbon emissions are becoming the European norm and the resulting price differentiation "strongly incentivizes car renewal, even if a full transition to zero-emission vehicles is not yet feasible".
With tolls exceeding fuel costs and further reforms underway, the IRU's findings outline a fundamental restructuring of the freight economy.For many carriers, profitability will depend not on global oil prices, but on how effectively they navigate Europe's changing toll and tax landscape.