The price of diesel fuel in Germany broke its previous record set in 2012 as the nationwide daily average price on Sunday climbed to 1.555 euros (1.8 U.S. dollars) per liter, the General German Automobile Club (ADAC) said on Monday.

Petrol prices were also approaching a new all-time high, according to the ADAC, Europe's largest motoring association. The E10 variety cost 1.667 euro per liter on Sunday, only 4.2 cents short of the old record set in September 2012.

The ADAC noted that the recent rise in crude oil prices and the increased demand for heating oil were driving diesel prices to new records. German drivers also pay an extra seven eurocents per liter in carbon dioxide (CO2) tax.

Germany introduced CO2 pricing in the transport and housing sectors at the beginning of this year. In 2021, the charge is 25 euros per ton of CO2 emitted, which will gradually be raised to 55 euros by 2025.

"The task of the future government is to reconcile mobility and climate protection" to ensure that people with low incomes could also remain mobile, ADAC's President of Transport Gerhard Hillebrand said in a statement. "The current trend in fuel prices means that costs are already close to what many people can bear."