In Burladingen, Rangendingen and Altshausen, drivers pay about 20 cents less per liter for fuel than the national average, even as the Iran conflict pushes prices up across Germany.
Trigema, the Baden-Württemberg textile firm, operates three public filling stations attached to its garment factories, and its pricing model has remained unchanged for decades: prices reflect only the current purchase cost of fuel, with no additional risk premium or security surcharge added.
According to the ADAC, national averages stood at 2.24 euros for diesel and 2.09 euros for Super E10 on the Wednesday prior to April 19, 2026, while at the Trigema station in Burladingen, diesel sold for 2.06 euros and Super E10 for 1.99 euros on the Thursday afternoon.
Wolfgang Grupp junior, who runs the company with his sister Bonita, said the approach is straightforward: “Our prices are based purely on the purchase price. Since the start of the Iran war, we have done nothing differently.” He added that the firm still makes a modest profit, necessary to cover operating costs, and credited long-term supplier relationships for enabling flexibility, such as adjusting orders via WhatsApp at short notice.
State taxes and levies make up the bulk of the fuel price in Germany — 65.45 cents per liter for energy tax on gasoline, 47.04 cents on diesel, plus a carbon dioxide charge of about 17.3 cents per liter for diesel in 2026 and 19 percent VAT — leaving only a small margin for costs and profit.
Greenpeace commissioned an analysis from oil market expert Steffen Bukold, which found that since the war began, pump prices have risen far more sharply than crude oil prices, especially for diesel. While refining costs have remained largely stable, the NGO concluded that oil companies are adding disproportionate markups to the base crude price.
Grupp speculated that competitors are building in a risk premium, anticipating further price spikes from Middle East instability. Professor Joachim Ragnitz of the Ifo Institute in Dresden echoed this, noting that firms factor in the possibility of renewed crude oil cost increases due to unpredictable developments.
The Fuels und Energie industry association countered Greenpeace’s findings, arguing that pump prices are driven not by crude oil quotations but by the prices of refined products, which have diverged sharply from crude due to supply tightness in the current crisis.
Despite receiving regular gifts of chocolate from grateful customers, Grupp dismissed the notion that his firm’s conduct is exceptional: “We are not doing anything special; we are only doing what we have always done.” He found it troubling that such basic pricing honesty is seen as remarkable.
Why does Trigema’s pricing differ from major oil companies?
Trigema ties its pump prices directly to the purchase cost of fuel without adding a risk premium, while competitors, according to Greenpeace, are increasing margins beyond rising crude costs, and industry groups argue that refined product prices—not crude—are the main driver of current pump prices.
What role do taxes play in the final fuel price?
Taxes and levies account for the largest share of the fuel price in Germany: 65.45 cents per liter for energy tax on gasoline, 47.04 cents on diesel, about 17.3 cents for the CO₂ charge on diesel in 2026, and 19 percent VAT, leaving only a narrow band for procurement, distribution and profit.
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