Petrol vs. Diesel vs. Hybrid vs. EV in Germany
This is a maths question, and the answer is mostly about annual mileage and where you park. Here is how the four options compare in the German market specifically.
The short version
| Your situation | Usually best |
|---|---|
| Under 10,000 km/year, city | Petrol or full hybrid |
| 10,000–20,000 km/year, mixed | Petrol, hybrid, or EV if you can charge at home |
| Over 25,000 km/year, motorway | Diesel |
| Home charging + under 15,000 km | EV — cheapest per km by far |
| No home charging, high mileage | Diesel or petrol; EV economics collapse on public DC |
| Company car / 0.25% rule applies | EV |
Diesel
Cheaper per litre at the pump than it once was, but Kfz-Steuer is €9.50 per 100 cm³ against €2 for petrol — around €200–300 a year more on a 2.0. It earns that back only at high mileage. The real risk is political: Euro 5 diesels already face city restrictions, and residuals are soft.
- Good: torque, 4.5–6 l/100 km on long runs, long engine life
- Bad: DPF clogging on short trips, expensive injectors and EGR, city bans
Petrol
The default sensible choice for most private buyers. Cheaper to buy and insure, no DPF anxiety, and no exposure to diesel bans. Modern small turbo petrols manage 6–7 l/100 km in real use.
Hybrid and plug-in hybrid
A full hybrid (Toyota, Honda, Lexus) is genuinely excellent in German city and Landstraße use — 4.5–5.5 l/100 km with no charging behaviour required. A plug-in hybrid only makes sense if you actually charge it daily; unplugged, it is a heavy petrol car with a worse boot.
Electric
The per-km cost is unbeatable if you charge at home: at 30 ct/kWh and 18 kWh/100 km that is €5.40 per 100 km, against €11 for petrol. Public DC charging at 50–79 ct/kWh erases the advantage entirely. Kfz-Steuer exemption runs to the end of 2030 for cars registered by 31 December 2025.
- Good: cheap home charging, no Kfz-Steuer, quiet, THG-Quote payment annually
- Bad: winter range loss of 20–30%, public charging costs, uncertain residuals on older EVs
- Check: battery health report (SoH) before buying used — ask for it in writing
Fuel price reality check
German pump prices swing with the CO2 price and tax. Budget around €1.70–1.85 for E10 and €1.65–1.80 for diesel, and use the Tankerkönig or ADAC app — the same brand can vary 20 cents within one city, and evening is reliably cheaper than morning.