R-Pass Alsace and Grand Est HGV Toll: 2027 Guide

The R-Pass Alsace, the new HGV toll in Alsace, comes into force on 1 January 2027. Goods vehicles over 3.5 t will pay a per-kilometre tax on the A35, the A36 and four departmental roads in Alsace: from 7.1 to 34.5 euro cents per kilometre, depending on their weight and Euro class. A few months later, the Grand Est Region will launch its own HGV eco-contribution (ECPL) on 525 km of motorways and national roads. Two taxes, two local authorities, but often the same trucks: this guide covers the network, the rates, payment, foreign trucks and the impact on your routes.

R-Pass and the Grand Est eco-contribution at a glance

The R-Pass has been voted, its rate schedule is published and its payment tools are known. The ECPL has been voted in principle, but the Region has not yet published its start date, final rate schedule or payment arrangements.

Why two HGV taxes in 2027?

Both taxes rest on the same French legal framework: Articles L. 3333-11 to L. 3333-32 of the General Code of Local Authorities (CGCT, plus L. 4332-8 for regions) and Articles L. 421-186 et seq. of the Code of Taxes on Goods and Services (CIBS). This framework allows a local authority that manages roads to levy a per-kilometre tax on heavy goods vehicles using them. Decree No. 2026-693 of 27 July 2026 set out the rules for enforcement, automatic assessment and fines.

The motivations differ. In Alsace, the main aim is to curb the transit traffic shifted from Germany since the German HGV toll (LKW-Maut) was introduced in 2005. According to the CeA, quoted by trans.info, 51% of HGV traffic on the A35 and A36 is now transit. In the rest of Grand Est, the Region wants to fund the upkeep of the national roads it took over from the State on 1 January 2025.

The R-Pass Alsace: network, rates, payment

The taxed network

According to the official website r-pass.eu, the taxed network includes:

• the A35 and the A36, for their non-concession sections located outside the Strasbourg Eurometropolis;
• the RD83 between Colmar and Sélestat;
• the RD1363, the RD502 and the RD504 (shown on the official map).

That adds up to about 200 km. The A35 through Strasbourg is therefore not taxed, but the northern section (towards Lauterbourg and the German border) and the southern section (towards Colmar, Mulhouse and Basel) are.

R-Pass rates

The rate depends on the vehicle’s gross combination weight (field F.3 of the registration certificate) and its Euro class. It adds up three components: infrastructure, air pollution and CO₂ emissions. Excerpt from the official schedule, in euro cents per kilometre:

The oldest vehicles pay the most: up to 34.5 c€/km for a Euro 0 vehicle over 32 t. The full schedule (Euro 0 to Euro VII) is published on r-pass.eu.

A 13% reduction on the infrastructure component applies to vehicles subscribed with an accredited toll service provider that make more than 20 trips per month on the taxed network (one trip = one entry followed by one exit).

How much does crossing Alsace cost?

Examples calculated from the official schedule for 165 km, the length of the A35 between Lauterbourg and Saint-Louis according to France 3. The section through the Strasbourg Eurometropolis is not taxed, so the actual amount for a full crossing is slightly lower.

• 40 t tractor-trailer, Euro VI (class D): 165 × €0.146 = €24.09; €21.92 for a subscriber making more than 20 trips a month;
• 40 t tractor-trailer, Euro V: 165 × €0.179 = €29.54;
• 18–32 t rigid truck, Euro VI (class C): €18.98;
• rigid truck under 12 t, Euro VI (class A): €12.21.

For a regional trip, budget €14.60 per 100 taxed kilometres for a 40 t Euro VI.

How to pay the R-Pass

The R-Pass is a free-flow, barrier-free toll. There are two options:

1. Subscription with a European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) provider: the on-board unit records and pays for trips automatically. This is the option for regular users and the only one that qualifies for the 13% reduction. Six providers, currently being accredited, have completed their end-to-end tests: AS24, Axxès, Telepass, Toll4Europe, Tolltickets and TotalEnergies (up-to-date list on r-pass.eu).
2. R-PASS e-ticket for occasional users: you register the vehicle, enter the route and pay before departure on the R-PASS website or app, available from 1 January 2027. Bookings can be made up to 48 hours in advance.

In both cases, the vehicle must be registered in the R-PASS system before using the network.

Exemptions, enforcement and penalties

Exemptions are those provided for by the CIBS. They include:

• emergency, defence and road maintenance vehicles;
• some agricultural and forestry transport;
• milk or household waste collection within a limited radius;
• vehicles under 7.5 t carrying their driver’s equipment or craft products on own account;
• zero-emission vehicles of 4.25 t or less.

Most of them must be applied for with the operator, for one renewable year, using an online form announced for autumn 2026 (details on r-pass.eu).

A truck driving without an active on-board unit or e-ticket is committing an offence: it faces a fine and an increased automatic assessment of the tax. The CeA has announced a flat rate based on 160 km for each unpaid trip, reduced to 50 km during the first two months. A €10 administrative fee is added; the vehicle operator then has 60 days to pay.

The Grand Est HGV eco-contribution (ECPL)

The Grand Est Region applies the same logic to 525 km of roads taken over from the State: A30, A31, A33, A313, RN4, RN44, RN431 and RN52 (Meurthe-et-Moselle section). What we know so far:

• Announced rate: 15 c€/km, varied by powertrain, with an announced exemption for electric trucks;
• Payment: on-board unit for regular users, per-trip ticket via an app for occasional users, according to France 3;
• Enforcement: reuse of the gantries installed for the national ecotax abandoned in 2014, according to France 3;
• Date: not yet official. The press cites 1 April 2027 (ICI, September 2026) or 1 July 2027 (France 3, Supply Chain Magazine, August 2026); the CeA mentions a launch “by mid-2027”.

Until the Region publishes its rate decision, the safe assumption is that an HGV using the A30, A31, A33, A313, RN4, RN44, RN431 or RN52 should pay a per-kilometre tax at some point in 2027. This guide will be updated as soon as the date and rate schedule are official.

Foreign trucks: the R-Pass applies to every country of registration

Both taxes apply regardless of the country of registration. The official R-Pass website is explicit: foreign vehicles have the same rights and obligations as vehicles registered in France and must register before using the network. Exemptions apply under the same conditions.

For a German, Dutch, Belgian or Polish haulier, the simplest step is to check whether its European toll service provider is accredited for Alsace. If you already use a single on-board unit for the German LKW-Maut, Belgium’s Viapass or French motorways, ask your provider when Alsace will be activated. Otherwise, the e-ticket lets you pay trip by trip. The r-pass.eu website is available in French, German, English, Spanish, Italian and Polish.

Bypass or pay the R-Pass?

Does the German A5 become competitive again?

No, not on toll alone. A combination over 18 t with 5 axles, Euro VI and CO₂ class 1, pays 34.8 c€/km of LKW-Maut in Germany (rates in force since 1 July 2024), compared with 14.6 c€/km on the R-Pass network. The A35 therefore remains much cheaper than the A5 for north–south transit. The CeA is aiming for a 5 to 10% drop in traffic. The opposition group Alsace écologiste, citoyenne et solidaire considers the rate too low to change the habits of transit hauliers (France 3).

The untaxed departmental roads

The temptation is to leave the motorway for free departmental roads. There are two limits:

• the CeA has anticipated this shift: its official network map distinguishes the taxed network from a “potentially taxed network”. An observatory, announced by the CeA from 1 January 2026, is due to monitor traffic diversion;
• a detour of a few kilometres quickly costs more than the tax it avoids (calculation below).

The right calculation: full cost, not just the toll

A detour only pays off if:

extra kilometres × cost per kilometre < taxed kilometres avoided × R-Pass rate

With an operating cost of €1 per kilometre (illustrative value, replace it with your own), avoiding 40 taxed km at 14.6 c€/km saves €5.84: the detour becomes a loss beyond about 6 extra kilometres. And this calculation leaves out lost driving time, village crossings and weight restrictions.

Passing the HGV tax on to your customers

At the time of the French national ecotax, Article L. 3222-3 of the French Transport Code required an automatic surcharge on the price of transport. This article was repealed on 1 January 2017 (Law No. 2016-1917 of 29 December 2016, Art. 84). According to the French National Road Haulage Federation (FNTR), neither the R-Pass nor the ECPL provides for an equivalent mechanism. This is one of its grievances: it is calling for a protest on 15 October 2026 in Strasbourg to demand that both taxes be suspended.

Passing the cost on is therefore a matter of commercial negotiation. A few steps to take before 1 January:

• calculate the tax per flow: identify the trips that use the taxed network and work out the amount with the rate schedule;
• show it on a separate line in quotes and invoices, to make it visible and verifiable;
• add a revision clause to current contracts and plan for the arrival of the ECPL;
• warn your shippers now: the French shippers’ association (AUTF) has itself asked for both projects to be postponed.

Timeline

Still open: the date and rate schedule of the ECPL, the list of accredited R-Pass providers and the outcome of the 15 October protest. This page will be updated.

R-Pass Alsace FAQ

Is my 3.5 t vehicle affected?

No. Only goods vehicles with a maximum laden mass above 3.5 t are taxed.

Do electric trucks pay the R-Pass?

The CIBS exempts zero-emission vehicles of 4.25 t or less. In October 2025, the CeA announced an exemption for zero-emission HGVs, but the official exemptions page only covers those of 4.25 t or less. The published schedule only applies to “non-zero-emission” vehicles. For a heavier electric truck, have its status confirmed by the operator before 1 January. For the ECPL, the Region has announced an exemption for electric trucks. For toll exemptions for zero-emission trucks across Europe, read our guide on electric and autonomous trucks.

Is my existing toll on-board unit enough?

Yes, if it is supplied by an EETS provider accredited for Alsace. Check the list on r-pass.eu and the service activation date with your provider.

What happens if I have neither an on-board unit nor an e-ticket?

The vehicle is committing an offence: a fine plus an automatic assessment of the tax due, increased. The CeA has announced a flat distance of 160 km (50 km during the first two months) and a €10 administrative fee.

Do the two taxes add up?

Yes, if your route uses both networks, for example the A31 in Lorraine followed by the A35 in Alsace. Each authority only taxes the kilometres driven on its own network.

Building the tax into route planning

A per-kilometre tax that depends on the road and the truck changes which route is cheapest. The right trade-off is no longer made on distance alone, but on the full cost of each road section: tax, fuel, driving time. It is the same reasoning as for the TollRo distance-based toll in Romania. To go further, read why optimize your routes.

Information checked on 3 October 2026 on r-pass.eu (network, rate schedule, payment, exemptions), alsace.eu (enforcement and penalties, in French), Légifrance (Decree No. 2026-693, in French) and Toll Collect (LKW-Maut). The date and rate schedule of the Grand Est eco-contribution have yet to be confirmed by the Region: this guide will be updated. This guide is not a substitute for legal or tax advice.