Changes to toll charges in Germany and Austria are coming at the beginning of December 2023. It is expected that CO² Class will be introduced in Germany and Austria when calculating toll tariffs per kilometer. This will affect tolls in these countries. The addition of the CO² class is made in connection with the European Directive No. 2022/362 of February 22, 2022 in order to encourage the renewal of the vehicles fleet.

The new element, called CO² Class, evaluates the harmful emissions of the vehicles and, depending on this, groups them into classes with values 1,2,3,4 and 5. Class 1 includes the vehicles that emit the most harmful emissions and respectively will pay more, and class 5 includes those that emit the least harmful gases and, accordingly, will be in a more favorable position, paying lower tolls.

How the CO² class of the vehicle is determined

The CO² Class is defined based on the following vehicle information:

  • Date of manufacture;
  • Date of initial registration;
  • CO² emissions in gCO²/tkm
  • Vehicle subgroup defined based on category, number of axles, maximum weight, sleeper cab, engine power and vehicle group.

The initially assigned class will automatically decrease over time to encourage the renewal of road vehicles.

How the CO² Class Affects the Price of Tolls in Germany and Austria

The CO2 Class is a component that is added to the other elements involved in determining the toll – infrastructure, noise and pollution.

First of all, depending on the CO² class, a fixed component ct/km will be added to the toll per kilometer according to the table below: 

Secondly, the cost of the infrastructure component will be reduced between 0% and 75% again depending on CO² Class as shown in the table below: 

It is important to keep in mind that by 2025 CO² Class 5 will be exempted from the infrastructure component.

Also, all vehicles with an initial registration date after 2019 will be added in Class 1, which corresponds to the highest cost.

The change in road toll charges is expected to be approved by Germany and Austria, and to enter into force respectively:

  • from December 1, 2023 for Germany
  • from January 1, 2024 for Austria.

After the entry of the change, it will be advisable for all vehicles subject to TOL charges in Germany and Austria and with a date of initial registration after 2019 to declare their CO2 Class. If they do not, they will automatically be assigned the most unfavorable Class 1, where higher tolls are paid.

For more information on how to determine and declare the CO2 class of your road vehicles and pay automated road toll fees, contact us on 0700 1 49 49 or by filling in the form below.