Switzerland sets ambitious new electric vehicle targets for 2025

Switzerland is beating targets for the proportion of electric and hybrid vehicles on its roads. Keystone/cyril Zingaro

Private sector automotive, electricity and real estate companies have agreed to back Swiss government plans to ramp up adoption of fully electric and hybrid plug-in vehicles.

The public-private initiativeExternal link aims to increase the share of electric models among new registrations to 50% by 2025. At present, around 25.5% of newly registered vehicles are electric rechargeable models.

The consortium has also pledged to rapidly increase the number of public charging stations from 7,150 to 20,000 in the next three years.

In addition, the 59 commercial and public sector entities will research ways to best implement a nationwide electric vehicle charging network at service stations, homes, workplaces and on the road.

This is the latest step in the government’s ‘Roadmap for Electric Mobility’ plan that achieved its first target – 15% of new registrations must be rechargeable vehicles by 2022 – a year early.

Mobility and electric cars featured in the government’s proposed new environment law, presented last December, which aims to halve Switzerland’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

Under the new law, the government wants to impose a stricter CO2 emissions limit for vehicles, in line with EU rules, and penalise car importers if they fail to reach the new targets. More than a fifth of all new cars delivered to Switzerland last year were electric or hybrid models.

Despite these efforts, Switzerland’s progress on reducing carbon emissions is still running behind schedule. In 2020, CO2 emissions of new cars failed to meet targets despite a reduction in car trips during the pandemic.

By the end of 2020, overall greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 19% compared to 1990 levels, narrowly missing the 20% target despite pandemic lockdowns and an unusually warm winter.

Corrections: “A previous version of this article stated: “The public-private initiative aims to increase the share of eco-friendly vehicles to 50% by 2025. At present, some 25.5% of vehicles on Swiss roads are electric rechargeable models.”. This has been amended to clarify that these refer to new registrations: “The public-private initiative aims to increase the share of electric models among new registrations to 50% by 2025. At present, around 25.5% of newly registered vehicles are electric rechargeable models.” Similarly, the text said: “… that achieved its first target of having 15% electric vehicles on the road by 2022 a year early”. This was amended to: “… that achieved its first target – 15% of new registrations must be rechargeable vehicles by 2022 – a year early.”