Sales of electric vehicles have declined in Switzerland.
Keystone / Christian Beutler
In the first half of 2024, fewer electric vehicles were registered than in the same period last year. Can Switzerland achieve its climate goals in this way?
This content was published on
20. August 2024 – 10:00
Electric cars offer consumers numerous advantages. Not only are they significantly quieter than their combustion engine-powered relatives, but they can also be charged at home using your own power socket.
In addition, they make an important contribution to achieving climate goals.
“Electromobility is a key technology for the decarbonization of our transport system. Today, this system is responsible for over 30 percent of CO₂ emissions. Electromobility is making an important contribution to reducing these emissions,” says Christoph Schreyer, Head of the Energy Efficient Transport Section (BFE).
But for customers in Switzerland, the disadvantages of modern drive technology seem to outweigh the advantages, at least this year. Compared to the first half of 2023, the number of electric passenger cars put into circulation fell by seven percent this year.
For plug-in hybrid cars – which, along with electric cars, are considered plug-in vehicles – growth was just two percent. Classic hybrid vehicles, which are not plug-in vehicles, were popular, however.
Switzerland is lagging behind its own goals
With the decline in new registrations of electric cars, Switzerland is also lagging behind its own targets. By 2025, 50 percent of newly registered vehicles in Switzerland are to be plug-in vehicles.
This is one of the goals of the so-called “Electromobility Roadmap 2025”, which representatives of business and the public sector have signed in order to achieve the climate goals. The proportion of newly registered plug-in vehicles is currently 26 percent.
There are many reasons why plug-in vehicles have not yet become a box office hit in Switzerland. Since January 2024, electric vehicles in Switzerland are no longer tax-exempt at the federal level. In addition, the range in the lower price segment has not yet been particularly extensive.
Charging station missing at home
Surveys by the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) also show that people do not buy an electric car primarily because they do not have a charging station at home.
“It’s not a problem in single-family homes – the owners have it in their hands. In multi-family buildings it’s a challenge because they need a basic installation. Not every tenant can decide for themselves – a basic installation is needed. We’re calling for incentives to be put in place so that owners do this too,” says Peter Goetschi, TCS Central President.
However, Parliament rejected funding for charging installations in multi-unit buildings in the spring session, saying this was a matter for the cantons.
E-cars are more expensive
Since electric vehicles are still on average more expensive to purchase than combustion engines, the federal government must create incentives, says Gracia Brückmann, political scientist at the University of Bern.
“If you think, for example, of Norway, the absolute pioneer in electromobility, you would have to create parity in the purchase prices between the electric car and the combustion engine. For example, through taxes and discounts.”
Such measures probably come too late for the “Electromobility Roadmap 2025” and the targets will most likely be missed. There is still a long way to go before the electric car becomes established as a mass phenomenon.
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