It's getting more expensive again

Driving as a luxury: what will change in 2025

Driving will also be more expensive in 2025 ...

(Bild: Kadmy - stock.adobe.com)

No new year is complete without new burdens for car owners. Above all, the increase in the CO₂ price will be felt in the wallets of Austrians - diesel and petrol will be more expensive again. An overview.

The two major automobile clubs ÖAMTC and ARBÖ have already gained an overview of what is in store for motorists at the turn of the year. In a nutshell: The more emissions a vehicle emits, the more expensive it will be.

The debate is also focusing on the regional climate bonus, which was intended to compensate for CO₂ pricing when it was introduced. However, the tight federal budget situation could lead to a reduction or even abolition of the subsidy, which would be a fatal step!

Without the regional climate bonus, the increased CO₂ surcharge would be nothing more than a poorly concealed mineral oil tax increase, the revenue from which would flow directly back into the general budget.

Martin Grasslober, ÖAMTC-Wirtschaftsexperte

Bild: ÖAMTC/Postl

While, as reported, the surcharge on the commuter allowance has been clarified - and the official mileage allowance will be uniformly increased to 50 cents as of January 1 - the expected additional burdens for car drivers are not causing much joy. Despite all the promises, working people who rely on their car will have to dig deeper into their pockets.

Car owners will therefore continue to be the nation's "milking cows", while in future cyclists will also benefit from the kilometer charge from the second kilometer onwards ...

We are finally calling for a proper stop to charging and for driving to remain possible and affordable. It must not become a social question of whether you can afford your own car.

Gerald Kumnig, Generalsekretär des ARBÖ

Bild: Lukas Dostal

Low emissions are easy on the wallet
At the turn of the year, the CO₂ price will rise again from 45 to 55 euros per tonne. At the pumps, this means an increase of around three cents for consumers. Overall, the national CO₂ price, including VAT, will be responsible for 15 cents of the price of petrol and 16.5 cents of the price of diesel at the pump in 2025. There will also be a tightening of the non-cash benefit for the private use of company cars.

Anyone who also uses a company car privately must pay tax on it. If the emissions exceed a certain limit, two percent instead of 1.5 percent of the acquisition costs per month must be taxed.

From January 1, only motorcycles that meet the Euro 5+ emissions class may be sold and newly registered. There are exceptions for a limited number of units, which must also be registered with the authorities in advance.

Annual vignette 7.7 percent more expensive
The legislator has also provided for a valorization of the vignette. Although the general inflation rate is currently below two percent again, the increases for the freeway sticker are based on the inflation rate from 2022 to 2023. This means that the amount for consumers will increase by 7.7 percent.

Vignette buyers have little joy left

(Bild: VRD – stock.adobe.com/Asfinag, Krone KREATIV)

At 103.80 euros, the annual car vignette will break the 100-euro barrier for the first time, while the annual motorcycle vignette will cost 41.50 euros. The variants during the year (2-month, 10-day and daily vignette) will also be adjusted accordingly. With the exception of the daily vignette, all formats are available as stickers.

Note for those wishing to switch to public transport: the price of the climate ticket will rise to 1179.30 euros at the turn of the year. The price of discounted tickets will rise by around €63 to €884.20. Tickets with a family upgrade will be available for €1297.80 or €1002.70.

Hullabaloo in the workshops too
This year, the European Court of Justice ruled that vehicle manufacturers may not restrict access to vehicle diagnostics for independent garages. The EU Commission is now required to issue a new regulation in 2025 that regulates this accessibility. Furthermore, a technical update is also planned for the "Pickerl" inspection.

The motor-related insurance tax - which is due with the liability premium - is around 35 euros higher per year for almost all cars registered for the first time than for those registered for the first time in the previous year. The NoVA, a one-off charge, usually also increases.

It is still unclear what will happen to subsidies for private individuals in the area of electromobility in the new year. However, if budget funds are available, you can still register online for the relevant funding program until the end of May 2025 at the latest.

Penalties and co. weigh on the desire to travel
A strong vacation year is also expected for 2025. For car travelers within Europe, the main changes will be vignette prices, newly introduced environmental zones and traffic fines. In Italy, the Austrians' favorite travel destination, the entry fee in Venice will be extended. Access restrictions for the Trevi Fountain in Rome are also being discussed. The penalties will be particularly severe: anyone who talks on the phone or chats at the wheel without headphones could face fines of at least 250 to 1000 euros. Anyone who abandons pets will have to surrender their driver's license.

In France, the toll system will be gradually changed over the next few years. In future, tolls can only be paid electronically via the "free flow" system.

Unusually, but all the more pleasing is the fact that the 10-day vignette will become cheaper in Slovakia - vignette prices will also rise in Hungary and the Czech Republic, but only slightly.