IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/rwirep/978.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Emission effects of Germany's vehicle taxation: Recent empirical evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Flintz, Joschka
  • Frondel, Manuel
  • Horvath, Marco
  • Vance, Colin

Abstract

In 2021, Germany adjusted its vehicle taxation scheme, resulting in a disproportionate increase in the tax burden for vehicles with high carbon emission intensity. This article presents empirical evidence on the impact of Germany's vehicle taxation and its reforms on automobile emissions. To this end, we refer to a series of recent studies by Klier and Linn (2015), Malina (2016), Alberini and Horvath (2021), and Flintz, Frondel, and Horvath (2022) on the reforms of Germany's motor vehicle taxation since 2009, when an emissions-differentiated vehicle tax scheme came into force. The empirical results unanimously indicate that Germany's vehicle taxation does not have the steering effect that is needed to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Suggested Citation

  • Flintz, Joschka & Frondel, Manuel & Horvath, Marco & Vance, Colin, 2022. "Emission effects of Germany's vehicle taxation: Recent empirical evidence," Ruhr Economic Papers 978, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:978
    DOI: 10.4419/96973143
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/265443/1/1819882810.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.4419/96973143?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Flintz, Joschka & Frondel, Manuel & Horvath, Marco, 2022. "Emissionswirkungen der 2021 reformierten Kfz-Steuer: Eine empirische Analyse," RWI Materialien 154, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.
    2. Antonio M. Bento & Lawrence H. Goulder & Mark R. Jacobsen & Roger H. von Haefen, 2009. "Distributional and Efficiency Impacts of Increased US Gasoline Taxes," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(3), pages 667-699, June.
    3. Vickrey, William S, 1969. "Congestion Theory and Transport Investment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 59(2), pages 251-260, May.
    4. Frondel Manuel, 2019. "Straßennutzungsgebühren: Eine Lösung zur Vermeidung von Staus?," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 20(3), pages 218-225, September.
    5. Peter Cramton & R. Richard Geddes & Axel Ockenfels, 2019. "Using Technology to Eliminate Traffic Congestion," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 175(1), pages 126-139.
    6. Malina, Christiane, 2016. "The environmental impact of vehicle circulation tax reform in Germany," CAWM Discussion Papers 86, University of Münster, Münster Center for Economic Policy (MEP).
    7. Thomas Klier & Joshua Linn, 2015. "Using Taxes to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rates of New Passenger Vehicles: Evidence from France, Germany, and Sweden," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 212-242, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Flintz, Joschka & Frondel, Manuel & Horvath, Marco, 2022. "Emissionswirkungen der 2021 reformierten Kfz-Steuer: Eine empirische Analyse," RWI Materialien 154, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.
    2. Joschka Flintz & Manuel Frondel & Marco Horvath, 2022. "Emissionswirkungen der 2021 reformierten Kfz-Steuer: Eine empirische Analyse [Emissions effects of the german vehicle tax: an empirical analysis]," AStA Wirtschafts- und Sozialstatistisches Archiv, Springer;Deutsche Statistische Gesellschaft - German Statistical Society, vol. 16(3), pages 255-276, December.
    3. Frondel Manuel, 2019. "Straßennutzungsgebühren: Eine Lösung zur Vermeidung von Staus?," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 20(3), pages 218-225, September.
    4. Konishi, Yoshifumi & Kuroda, Sho, 2023. "Why is Japan’s carbon emissions from road transportation declining?," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    5. Verboven, Frank & Grigolon, Laura & Reynaert, Mathias, 2014. "Consumer valuation of fuel costs and the effectiveness of tax policy: Evidence from the European car market," CEPR Discussion Papers 10301, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Wolff, Hendrik, 2014. "Value of time: Speeding behavior and gasoline prices," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 71-88.
    7. Frondel, Manuel, 2019. "Straßennutzungsgebühren: Eine Lösung zur Vermeidung von Staus?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pages 218-225.
    8. Alberini, Anna & Horvath, Marco, 2021. "All car taxes are not created equal: Evidence from Germany," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    9. Alberini, Anna & Bareit, Markus & Filippini, Massimo & Martinez-Cruz, Adan L., 2018. "The impact of emissions-based taxes on the retirement of used and inefficient vehicles: The case of Switzerland," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 234-258.
    10. Wolff, Hendrik, 2012. "Value of Time: Speeding Behavior and Gasoline Prices," IZA Discussion Papers 6788, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Bjertnæs, Geir H.M., 2023. "Taxation of fuel and vehicles when emissions are constrained," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    12. de Palma, André & Lindsey, Robin, 2001. "Optimal timetables for public transportation," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 789-813, September.
    13. Simon P. Anderson & Régis Renault, 2011. "Price Discrimination," Chapters, in: André de Palma & Robin Lindsey & Emile Quinet & Roger Vickerman (ed.), A Handbook of Transport Economics, chapter 22, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    14. Terry E. Daniel & Eyran J. Gisches & Amnon Rapoport, 2009. "Departure Times in Y-Shaped Traffic Networks with Multiple Bottlenecks," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(5), pages 2149-2176, December.
    15. Arnott, Richard & Inci, Eren, 2010. "The stability of downtown parking and traffic congestion," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 260-276, November.
    16. Jinwon Kim & Jucheol Moon & Dongyun Yang, 2024. "Pigouvian Congestion Tolls and the Welfare Gain: Estimates for California Freeways," Working Papers 2402, Nam Duck-Woo Economic Research Institute, Sogang University (Former Research Institute for Market Economy).
    17. Bergeaud, Antonin & Raimbault, Juste, 2020. "An empirical analysis of the spatial variability of fuel prices in the United States," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 131-143.
    18. Scott Duke Kominers & Alexander Teytelboym & Vincent P Crawford, 2017. "An invitation to market design," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 33(4), pages 541-571.
    19. Golob, Thomas F. & Recker, Wilfred W., 2001. "Relationships Among Urban Freeway Accidents, Traffic Flow, Weather and Lighting Conditions," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt2fh4x5hp, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    20. Proost, Stef & Van Dender, Kurt, 2012. "Energy and environment challenges in the transport sector," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 77-87.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Registration tax; circulation tax; greenhouse gas emissions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:978. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/rwiesde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.