Electric cars: Switzerland drops to 16th place in Europe

Context

In brief

• In 2019, Switzerland ranked fifth for electrification
• In mid-2026, it had dropped to 16th place
• An electric SUV can cost up to 1'000 francs more per year
• One quarter of new registrations are fully electric

Key facts

• Position → fifth place in 2019; 13th at the end of 2025; 16th in mid-2026
• Interviewee → Helmut Ruhl, CEO of Amag
• Taxes → up to 1'000 francs more per year for an average electric SUV
• New registrations → one quarter of purely electric cars in the current year
• August → 30% purely electric cars
• September → an even higher share than in August

In 2019, Switzerland ranked fifth in Europe for vehicle electrification. At the end of 2025, it was in 13th place; in mid-2026, it had dropped to 16th. This sequence was cited by Helmut Ruhl, CEO of Amag, in an interview published by Aargauer Zeitung.

The manager summarized the situation as follows: «We are progressing faster than before, but more slowly than many other European countries». Switzerland remains a stronghold of the combustion engine, despite rising petrol prices.

The framework conditions indicated by Amag

According to Ruhl, the delay stems from contradictory framework conditions. Many people live in rented accommodation or in condominiums, but do not have access to a charging option. The problem also affects public spaces: public car parks lack infrastructure.

A second reason concerns motor vehicle taxes. The cantons apply different incentives and, in some places, a mid-range electric SUV costs up to 1'000 francs more per year in taxes than a comparable petrol car. Ruhl considers this difference unacceptable.

However, the demand picture is less negative than the ranking. According to the interviewee, electric mobility has recently gained momentum: in the current year, purely electric cars account for one quarter of new registrations. In August, the share was 30%, and in September it was even slightly higher. High fuel prices are also contributing to additional demand, says the importer of the Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat and Cupra brands.

Growing Chinese competition remains a factor. Ruhl believes that European manufacturers are still well positioned. The overall picture is therefore mixed: electric demand is accelerating, but the country is falling behind in the European comparison and continues to face obstacles related to charging and taxes.

Operational details

The comparison that changes with the canton

For those who live or work in Switzerland, the choice between an electric vehicle and a petrol one depends not only on the type of engine. The source highlights two concrete variables: the possibility of charging the car and the way motor vehicle taxes are handled. Both can change the result of the comparison from one canton to another.

The tax reference indicated by Helmut Ruhl is limited: it concerns a mid-range electric SUV compared with a comparable petrol car. In some places, the difference reaches up to 1'000 francs per year. It is therefore not correct to turn this figure into a rule valid for every electric car, but neither should it be ignored when assessing the cost of living in Switzerland. The annual expense can affect the budget even if fuel prices are rising.

For this reason, the first practical comparison should start with the canton in which the taxes are applied, rather than with a single value attributed to Switzerland. The tax figure must then be read together with the type of vehicle considered: the source does not refer indiscriminately to all electric cars, but to a mid-range SUV and a comparable petrol car.

Charging and housing

The second filter concerns the home. Those who live in rented accommodation or in a condominium may find themselves without access to a charging option. In such a scenario, the decision is not only about a preference for one technology; it concerns the concrete possibility of using the car without a private solution available. Public car parks, moreover, do not always offer the infrastructure identified as necessary by the source.

The shares of new registrations show significant tension. Electric mobility has gained momentum and high fuel prices are supporting additional demand, but Switzerland's position in the European comparison has worsened. In Ruhl's reading, the problem is therefore not only motorists' demand; the combination of charging and cantonal incentives also weighs on it.

To separate the cost of the car from the other items in the household budget, costo della vita in Svizzera can be considered alongside calcolatore stipendio/imposte. The tools do not replace the cantonal figure for car taxes, but they help assess the overall cost without conflating different items.

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Key points

A checklist before choosing

The most prudent procedure starts from the data that the source considers decisive. There is no need to assume a rule that is the same throughout Switzerland: it is necessary to check one's own Canton, one's own housing situation and the actual availability of charging.

Four operational checks

1. Start with the Canton. Before comparing vehicles, identify the incentive applied to motor vehicle taxes in the Canton concerned. The value to include in the budget is the annual one.

2. Use a like-for-like comparison. If evaluating a mid-range electric SUV, the benchmark must be a comparable gasoline car. The figure of up to 1'000 francs per year reported by Ruhl concerns this type of comparison and not all electric cars.

3. Clarify private charging. Those who live in rented accommodation or condominium ownership must check whether they have the right to a charging option. The source points out that many people do not: this is therefore a check to carry out before choosing the vehicle.

4. Separate public charging from the desire to purchase. Public parking lots lack the infrastructure indicated in the interview. It is not advisable to automatically consider those parking spaces an available solution; if private charging is not available, the comparison with mezzi pubblici can complete the assessment of daily mobility.

5. Weigh fuel costs without promising savings. High fuel prices contribute to demand for electric cars, but the source does not quantify an individual saving. The figure should therefore be used as an element of the comparison, not as a guaranteed result.

This sequence makes it possible to keep three aspects distinct: cantonal taxes, access to charging and pressure from fuel prices. To organize the overall budget, use calcolatore stipendio/imposte.

Source: laregione.ch