From a graph that couldn't be clipped.

Price Increase Share of Price from Tax
Britain +9.7% 66%
France +9.8% 64%
Germany +11.7% 64%
Italy +7.4% 60%
Spain +9.6% 52%
United States +23.7% 14%

Considering this the U.S. at $3.00 a gallon is paying (3 x 86%) = $2.86 for untaxed gas per gallon.

4.546 litres per gallon

As of Sept. 2007 France is paying $1.28 per litre (x 4.546) which equals $5.82 per gallon. But their untaxed gasoline is costing $5.82 x .36 = $2.09 a gallon.

That's less than what the U.S. pays per gallon - UNTAXED.

So if anyone from Europe is dissatisfied with the price they pay for gasoline, look to your taxes first.

Average End-Use Price data for Europeans comes from the International Energy Agency.

Well I misread the data sheet. Actually France pays $1.78 US Dollars per liter.

4.54 x $1.78 x .36 = $2.90 per gallon UNTAXED for France.

So not much difference between that and US untaxed. Still points out that the huge difference in the price at the pump is due to the way Europeans appropriate their taxes.

Interesting. Also, No VAT in the USA (yet).