[zdragnar]

In America, taxes account for about a fifth of the price of a unit of gas. In Europe, it varies around half.

The remaining difference in cost is boosted by the cost of ethanol, which is much cheaper in the US due to abundance of feedstock and heavy subsidies on ethanol production.

The petrol and diesel account for a relatively small fraction on both continents. The "normal" prices in Europe aren't reflective of the cost of the fossil fuel itself. In point of fact, countries in Europe often have lower tax rates on diesel, despite being generally worse for the environment.