The ADAC, Germany’s largest automobile club, is attempting to clarify its position amidst a heated debate surrounding rising fuel prices, arguing it has been misrepresented as advocating for blanket increases without considering broader policy implications. Gerhard Hillebrand, ADAC’s traffic president, emphasized in statements to the Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers that the organization’s stance is not a simple endorsement of higher gasoline and diesel costs.
Hillebrand defended the principle of a carbon dioxide (CO2) price as a potentially valuable tool for advancing climate protection in the transportation sector. However, he cautioned that such economic signals are only effective if consumers have viable alternatives. Critically, he pointed to the current shortcomings in renewable fuels and electric vehicle infrastructure, arguing that without readily available substitutes, increased fuel costs risk creating a double burden: failing to deliver meaningful climate progress while simultaneously diminishing the affordability of mobility for ordinary citizens.
The ADAC is now calling for a multifaceted approach, highlighting the urgency of reducing electricity taxes for private consumers to incentivize electric vehicle adoption. Simultaneously, Hillebrand urged policymakers to prioritize making alternative fuels more accessible and financially attractive for those continuing to utilize combustion engine vehicles. This, he argues, requires a swift reform of the EU Energy Taxation Directive, along with robust incentives for industry investment in renewable energy production.
Hillebrand acknowledged the recent increase in the commuter allowance (Pendlerpauschale) by the German government as a positive step but maintained it is just one element of a larger solution. The ADAC’s previous, more indirect suggestion of higher fuel prices in the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” sparked a wave of criticism and inquiries from its members, prompting this current effort to clarify the club’s nuanced position and underscore the necessity of a balanced and consumer-conscious approach to transitioning the German transportation sector. The organization’s stance highlights the complex political and social challenges inherent in balancing climate goals with the economic realities faced by German drivers.
