Wie teuer kann Tanken noch werden?

What you'll learn

• 1 (00:03) **The Core Puzzle: Why Diesel Is the Expensive Product** - Jürgen Ziegner opens by stating that the global refining margin for diesel is more than double that of gasoline, making diesel the scarce and costly product.
• 2 (01:12) **The Setup: Historical Context and the Central Question** - The host, Katrin Witsch, frames the episode by contrasting a 2011 article about record-high gas prices with today's nearly doubled prices.
• 3 (02:27) **The Expert's View: Is €3 per Liter Realistic?** - Ziegner is asked directly about the plausibility of €3-per-liter fuel, a figure floated by some experts.
• 4 (04:04) **Deconstructing the Price: The State vs. The Product** - Ziegner breaks down the €2.45 per liter of Super gasoline into its two main components: government levies and the product price.
• 5 (05:05) **The Smoking Gun: Refining Margins (Crack Spreads) Are at Historic Highs** - Ziegner identifies the "crack margin" – the difference between the cost of crude oil and the selling price of refined products – as the key factor.
• 6 (06:10) **The Cartel Office Question: Are Refineries Gouging?** - The host connects the high refinery margins to the ongoing investigation by Germany's Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt).
• 7 (08:48) **Who Sets the Price at the Pump? (Not the Station Owner)** - A crucial clarification: the price at the pump is set by the station's parent company (e.g., Aral/BP, Shell) via computer systems, not by the individual station owner or their staff.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app