ADAC Traffic President Resigns After 60,000 Members Cancel Over Fuel‑Price Comments

Gerhard Hillebrand, the traffic president of the ADAC, has stepped down, according to the Bild (Tuesday edition) citing internal sources. The report says a wave of resignations has taken place: 60,000 members have cancelled their subscriptions over the past four weeks, and Hillebrand has taken responsibility for the exodus and the resulting damage to the club’s image.

The criticism was sparked by Hillebrand’s remarks on rising fuel costs. In the late‑November 2025 edition of the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, he praised CO₂ pricing as a tool to meet climate‑protection targets and argued that incentives are needed to encourage motorists to switch from diesel and gasoline to more climate‑friendly options such as electric cars. He also warned that European climate goals should not be loosened.

An ADAC spokesperson, quoted by Bild, said that the high number of cancellations shows many members felt the club had abandoned its role as a lawyer for drivers. The spokesperson stressed that the impression created by the interview does not reflect the ADAC’s clear positions. “Whether it concerns gasoline, diesel or electric vehicles: we oppose any further burden without a social compensation. Our mission is affordable mobility for all” she said.

Despite the departures, Bild reports that 100,000 new members joined in January. Hillebrand’s duties have been temporarily assumed by Karsten Schulze, the ADAC’s technology president.