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European toll updates 2025: How fleets can model hidden cost shifts and protect margins

1. The cost shift no one sees coming

For European transport operators, 2025 isn’t just another year of toll updates – it’s a structural reset.

Across the continent, new toll tables, emission-based charges, and regulatory deadlines are reshaping how fleets spend, plan, and report.

Germany’s expanded Lkw-Maut now covers trucks above 3.5 tonnes.

Austria and Belgium are introducing CO₂ surcharges per kilometre.

And the EU’s upcoming ETS2 carbon pricing system means fuel itself is about to become a compliance cost.

Margins are no longer lost on the road—they’re lost in the rules.

To stay ahead, fleet and finance leaders must look beyond today’s invoices and start modeling the true cost per kilometre for 2025.

2. CO₂ tolling: The new cost frontier

Germany’s Lkw-Maut changed everything on 1 July 2024.

Tolling now applies to lighter vehicles (3.5+ tonnes) and rates are split across five CO₂ classes.

The result?

Two identical trucks can pay very different rates for the same route.

  • Euro VI diesel (CO₂ Class 1): €0.195 /km
  • Zero-emission vehicle (ZEV): €0.00 /km (until 31 Dec 2025)

Austria’s GO-Maut followed with similar CO₂ differentiation, while Belgium’s Viapass toll updates in 2025 will complete the triad.

Action point: Verify every vehicle’s CO₂ class now—incorrect documentation can mean thousands in excess tolls each quarter.

3. ETS2: The next major cost layer

The EU Emissions Trading System for Transport (ETS2) will apply to road fuels by 2027, with a forecasted cost of €0.13–€0.18 per litre.

Though still two years out, this mechanism will push fuel suppliers to pass carbon costs down to fleets.

Smart operators are already modelling ETS2 exposure in their 2025 budgets to avoid sudden shocks.

Action point: Start incorporating a “carbon surcharge” scenario into fuel forecasting. TFC clients can already model this impact using live fuel network data.

4. Country-specific toll updates you can’t ignore

Germany

  • Lkw-Maut now includes all vehicles > 3.5 t.
  • ZEVs remain exempt until 31 Dec 2025.

Austria

  • 2025 GO-Maut tables add CO₂ rates by class and axle count.

Belgium

  • 2025 Viapass introduces weight-based increases and ZEV discounts.

Czech Republic

  • CO₂ tolling launched in March 2024. Vehicles registered after July 2019 can be reclassified for reduced rates.

Action point: Recalculate route-by-route costs under the new 2025 toll tables before renewing contracts or tenders.

5. VAT, Tachographs, and Euro 7: The 2025 compliance triad

While tolls dominate attention, other deadlines are closing in:

  • VAT reclaim cut-off: Submit 2024 claims by 30 Sept 2025.
  • Smart Tachograph V2: Retrofit all international vehicles before 19 Aug 2025.
  • Euro 7: Confirmed rollout on 29 May 2028, already influencing procurement cycles.

Action point: Integrate compliance tracking into your cost model – non-compliance costs more than the upgrades.

6. The real cost driver: fragmentation

Fleet costs are rarely inflated by fuel or tolls alone – it’s fragmentation that compounds them.

When toll, fuel, and VAT data live in separate systems, finance teams spend hours reconciling mismatched numbers.

That’s how opportunities – like CO₂-class savings or route optimisation – get buried in spreadsheets.

Action point: Consolidate toll, fuel, and reclaim data into a single overview. That’s how you move from reacting to anticipating.

7. The TFC view: Clarity is the new currency

At TFC, our mission is simple:

help fleets see the road ahead – financially, not just physically.

By integrating fuel, toll, parking, and VAT reclaim across 18 countries, we turn regulatory complexity into one clear, actionable overview.

When every kilometre is measured and predictable, you don’t just survive regulatory change – you use it to stay ahead.

8. The Q4 imperative

Autumn is the season of preparation.

For fleets, that means running the numbers before they run you.

By November, your 2025 toll rates, CO₂ classifications, and cost forecasts should already be validated.

Because once winter routes begin, it’s too late to course-correct.

The fleets that plan in October drive stronger margins in March.

FAQ

What is CO₂-based tolling?

It’s a system that links toll prices to a vehicle’s emissions class. Cleaner trucks pay less per kilometre, while higher-emission vehicles pay more.

When will ETS2 start affecting transport fuel prices?

ETS2 for road fuels launches in 2027 (or 2028 if delayed). Early estimates suggest an added cost of €0.13–€0.18 per litre, depending on carbon market prices.

Conclusion

2025 will redefine what it costs to move freight in Europe.

From CO₂ tolls to ETS2 and Euro 7 prep, every decision between now and Q1 matters.

At TFC, we simplify the complex – so you can focus on performance, not paperwork.

Explore more at www.tfc-power.com