How many new cars were registered in Switzerland in September?

In September, 21,900 new cars entered the road in Switzerland, an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period of the previous year. In the first nine months of 2026, the cumulative total reached 173,500 cars, an increase of 2.7% year-on-year, according to data released by the importers' association Auto-Switzerland and reported by Keystone-ATS.

What is the market share of alternative powertrains and electric cars?

In September, alternative propulsions reached 79% of the market share, compared to 73% recorded in September 2025. In particular, electric cars in the foreground rise to 36% with 7800 e-cars sold (compared to 26% the previous year). This is followed by the normal hybrid at 32%, the plug-in hybrid at 12%, petrol cars at 17% and diesel at 4%.

Which car brands were the best-selling ones in the first nine months?

In the first nine months of the year, the manufacturers' ranking sees Volkswagen in first place with 18,900 cars sold, followed by Skoda with 16,000, Mercedes with 14,200, BMW with 13,900, Audi with 11,600 and Toyota with 10,000 vehicles. Other brands follow including Seat/Cupra with 6600, Volvo with 6500, Renault with 6200, Dacia with 5500, Tesla with 5300 and Hyundai with 5100.

New Car Sales in Switzerland: The Electric Vehicle Boom

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 2 October 2026

New cars and electric vehicles registered in Switzerland

In September, 202,900 new cars were sold in Switzerland, up 9.6% year-over-year. Electric vehicles accounted for 36% of the market, while alternative-fuel vehicles accounted for 79%.

Context

At a Glance

September: 21,900 new cars, up 9.6% from the previous year
Alternative-fuel vehicles account for 79% of the market
Electric vehicles rise to 36%, with 7,800 cars sold
In the first nine months of 2026, 173,500 cars were sold, up 2.7%

Key Facts

Period → September
Registrations → 21,900 new cars
Year-over-year growth → 9.6%
Alternative powertrains → 79% market share
Electric → 36%, with 7,800 electric cars
January–September 2026 → 173,500 cars
Growth over the first nine months → 2.7%
4×4 → 53%, up from 50%

21,900 brand-new cars were put into service in Switzerland in September, 9.6% more than during the same slow period last year. The figure comes from the importers’ association Auto-Switzerland, as reported by Keystone-ATS.

Drive Systems This Month

In the ninth month of the year, alternative drive systems accounted for 79% of the market share, compared to 73% in September 2025. Electric vehicles led the way with 36%, up from 26% a year earlier: 7,800 electric cars were sold. Conventional hybrids followed at 32%, down from 34%, while plug-in hybrids accounted for 12%, remaining nearly stable compared to 13%. Gasoline-powered cars accounted for 17%, down from 22%, and diesel cars for 4%, down from 6%.

Total sales for the first nine months of 2026 rose to 173,500 vehicles, an increase of 2.7% year-over-year. In terms of volume, dealerships sold 62,600 hybrids (+2%), 45,500 electric vehicles (+27%), 34,900 gasoline-powered cars (-16%), 21,300 plug-in hybrids (+15%), and 9,300 diesel vehicles (-24%). The share of 4x4s rose from 50% to 53%.

A Message from Auto-Switzerland

“The continued increase in electric vehicle registrations recorded in September is encouraging,” comments Thomas Rücker, director of Auto-Switzerland.

In the same statement, Rücker highlights the heavy financial burden on commuters and the transportation sector. The public and businesses, he argues, must not be left to fend for themselves: mobility costs must be significantly reduced. The director adds that the adoption of electric mobility remains a quarter below the projections in the federal government’s plans and calls for a rapid improvement in the regulatory framework. To relate this issue to daily expenses, refer to costo della vita in Svizzera, without attributing individual amounts to the source that it does not report.

Operational details

What the Numbers Tell Us

The monthly figure and the cumulative total reflect two different perspectives. The 36% share indicates the proportion of electric vehicles among new registrations in September; while the 45,500 electric vehicles sold in the first nine months measure the cumulative volume over the same period. Distinguishing between these two indicators prevents confusion between the market composition in a single month and the partial annual total.

Even the 79% figure for alternative powertrains requires a nuanced interpretation. This share includes electric, conventional hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The headline about the growth of electric cars therefore does not reflect the complete picture of alternative powertrains: the source presents three distinct categories, each showing a different trend. Gasoline and diesel are on separate trajectories, while the share of 4×4s rose from 50% to 53%.

Competition Among Brands

The manufacturer rankings add another criterion for comparison, again based on the first nine months. Volkswagen leads with 18,900 cars sold, ahead of Skoda with 16,000. Next are BMW with 13,900, Mercedes with 14,200, Audi with 11,600, and Toyota with 10,000. Further down the list are Seat/Cupra with 6,600 cars, Volvo with 6,500, Renault with 6,200, Dacia with 5,500, Tesla with 5,300, and Hyundai with 5,100.

BYD and KIA both reached 4,600 vehicles. Peugeot stands at 3,800, Ford at 3,600, MG at 3,500, and Porsche at 3,200; all other manufacturers fall short of 3,000 vehicles. This is a ranking of individual brands, not a ranking of electric cars alone.

For those who live or work in Switzerland, the most tangible impact relates to mobility expenses. Auto-Svizzera links the trend in registrations to the financial burden on commuters and transportation, but the text does not provide a cost per individual model or per person. It is therefore not possible to automatically equate the growth in electric vehicles with personal savings. To put the data in relation to one’s own income, readers can compare it with the busta paga svizzera, keeping the source figures separate from individual assessments.

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Key points

A Checklist for Using Data Correctly

The source allows for a structured comparison across months, cumulative periods, vehicle types, and brands. This method ensures that market shares, absolute volumes, and year-over-year changes are not conflated, nor are sales statistics misrepresented as promises of savings.

Five Steps

1. Define the period. For the monthly snapshot, start with the 21,900 cars registered in September and the 9.6% change compared to the same slow period the previous year. For a broader comparison, look at the first nine months of 2026.

2. Separate market share from volume. First, examine the market composition: 79% of vehicles use alternative powertrains, with individual shares for electric, conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid, gasoline, and diesel. Then examine the cumulative volumes, without combining metrics based on different time periods.

3. Check the trends. The nine-month total is 173,500 cars, up 2.7%. The absolute figures are rounded to the nearest hundred, as the source specifies: the comparison should therefore be presented exactly as published.

4. Examine the market profile. The share of 4x4s rose from 50% to 53%, while the brand rankings show Volkswagen ahead of Skoda and other manufacturers. This step completes the analysis without confusing brand and powertrain type.

5. Relate the data to your own situation. Auto-Svizzera’s message concerns the financial burden on commuters, the general population, businesses, and the transportation sector. However, the source does not allow you to determine a personal expense or an automatic savings amount: to complete the analysis of disposable income, use calcolatore stipendio/imposte.

Source: swissinfo.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

How many new cars were registered in Switzerland in September?: In September, 21,900 new cars entered the road in Switzerland, an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period of the previous year. In the first nine months of 2026, the cumulative total reached 173,500 cars, an increase of 2.7% year-on-year, according to data released by the importers' association Auto-Switzerland and reported by Keystone-ATS.
What is the market share of alternative powertrains and electric cars?: In September, alternative propulsions reached 79% of the market share, compared to 73% recorded in September 2025. In particular, electric cars in the foreground rise to 36% with 7800 e-cars sold (compared to 26% the previous year). This is followed by the normal hybrid at 32%, the plug-in hybrid at 12%, petrol cars at 17% and diesel at 4%.
Which car brands were the best-selling ones in the first nine months?: In the first nine months of the year, the manufacturers' ranking sees Volkswagen in first place with 18,900 cars sold, followed by Skoda with 16,000, Mercedes with 14,200, BMW with 13,900, Audi with 11,600 and Toyota with 10,000 vehicles. Other brands follow including Seat/Cupra with 6600, Volvo with 6500, Renault with 6200, Dacia with 5500, Tesla with 5300 and Hyundai with 5100.