While the Confederation has committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, the development of the electric car in Switzerland comes up against many obstacles. Yet considered as an important lever of the energy transition, electromobility is struggling to impose itself, according to a time -present survey.
Unlike other European countries, Switzerland does not offer federal subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles or the installation of charging stations. Geoffrey Orlando, Swiss French Swiss manager of Swiss Emobility, deplores “a lack of political courage in Switzerland” and “one of the worst conditions for electric mobility” in Europe.
In addition, the Federal Council introduced in 2024 a 4% import tax on these vehicles, hitherto exempt. A decision that led to a decline in sales that year.
Insufficient charging infrastructures
The lack of charging stations, especially on the public highway, slows down the adoption of electric cars.
The Confederation discharges this responsibility on the cantons and the municipalities. Another complication, 61% of the Swiss are tenants and have all the sorrows to access a socket to recharge vehicles at home, which dissuades them from acquiring them.
But this obstacle should soon be lifted. Following the National Council, the Council of States finally approved the “right to take” on June 11. The installation of charging stations for electric cars should therefore be generalized. It remains to settle the questions of their funding.
Heterogeneous cantonal taxation
In addition, the vehicle tax varies considerably from one canton to another, creating a real tariff jungle. For example with the Tesla Y, the most common electric model in Switzerland: in 2024, the tax was 0 franc in Zurich, 168 francs in the canton of Vaud, 568 francs in Friborg and 1353 francs in Geneva.
The price is based on one or more criteria according to the cantons: displacement, vehicle power, energy efficiency, CO2 emissions, car weight. Some cantons having recently decided to change their criteria, owners of electric cars, who, at the beginning, were exempt from tax, suddenly saw their invoice increase considerably.
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Ambitious objectives but limited means
The Confederation has decided to gradually reduce CO2 emissions per five -year level. Between 2020 and 2024, the average CO2 rejection of new vehicles sold should not exceed 118 grams per kilometer. The dealers who wanted to sell polluting cars therefore had to compensate them by electricity in order to respect this average.
Between 2025 and 2029, the threshold drops to 93.6 grams of CO2. It will therefore be necessary to sell even more electric to respect the new standard. But without real public support for electromobility, these objectives seem difficult to achieve and should lead to penalties for automotive importers.
Thomas Rücker, Director of Auto-Suisse, alert: “We have announced around 500 million Swiss francs per year as maximum sanctions that could be loaded with the automotive branch for the year 2025 if we do not reach the objectives. It is painful for us, we are the only ones who are sanctioned for that; and finally it is the consumer or the customer who will pay dear for the vehicles.”
Resistance from the traditional automotive sector
Small garages fear for their future, electric cars requiring much less maintenance. Karim Elouaret, of the Relais Onex garage, worries: “A thermal vehicle on average, a small service, we have for an hour of work. An electric car, today, the first service we are given what, 20 minutes for the first visit to the workshop. Less maintenance on these vehicles, that means less work for us too.”
Alain Choisy, AC garage, adds: “For me anyway, at my age, it’s not worth it, it is rather the death of the little garage”.
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Promising local initiatives
But for their part, certain municipalities such as Yverdon-les-Bains take initiatives to develop charging infrastructure. Benoist Guillard, head of the city’s energies service, explains: “City philosophy is to reduce travel by car, we try to develop our bus network, networks for bikes, pedestrians, but when we have to use the car, to be able to transition to the electric car, it is less nuisance, less noise, less greenhouse gases, less pollution, therefore a lot of advantages.”
The recycling of batteries also offers new economic perspectives. Jodok Reinhardt, CEO of Librec AG, is confident: “I am an engineer and I know that electric mobility is much more effective than that based on combustion. And I, as well as all our ecosystem, from recycling to the production of batteries, are convinced that electrical mobility will replace thermal mobility sooner or later.”
However, without a more assertive political will and a coherent national strategy, Switzerland may late in its transition to electromobility.
Jean-Daniel Bohnenblust et vanessa Schweizer Bapst
