Overview

• May ADAC data shows daily price swings of 12.5 cents per liter for E10—the largest gap since the club’s records began—and 13.3 cents for diesel, its second-highest level.
• Prices typically rise steeply after 6 a.m., reach a morning peak around 7 a.m., and fall to their lowest between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., with smaller lows around 5–6 p.m. and 9–10 p.m.
• An average station adjusts prices about 22 times per day, while some outlets change rates more than 40 times and rare cases exceed 50 daily updates.
• Timing a 50-liter fill-up during evening price dips can slash over €6 off a full tank compared with peak-hour rates.
• Global oil price movements and state levies—including energy, value-added, and CO₂ taxes—constitute the majority of pump prices alongside processing and distribution costs.