"In Europe, Switzerland is now lagging behind in the electrification of its mobility"

At the end of 2025, the European Union (EU) decided to soften its initial position on the ban on the sale of new combustion-engine vehicles in 2035. While this measure was supposed to mark the end of petrol and diesel engines, the European Commission preferred to adopt a more flexible approach, replacing the strict ban with a target of a 90% reduction in CO₂ emissions for new cars by that horizon.

Although this decision is presented as a compromise between climate ambition and economic realism, it nevertheless attracts criticism, some seeing it as a risk of slowing the transition to fully decarbonized mobility. What indirect consequences will this easing have on Switzerland, now lagging in the electrification of its mobility? This is one of the questions asked of Geoffrey Orlando, head of French-speaking Switzerland at Swiss eMobility. Interview.

Has the EU's decision to review its agenda and ambitions regarding the electrification of mobility surprised you?

No, it did not really surprise us. For several years, some car manufacturers have been actively lobbying the European Commission to obtain more flexibility. European brands have fallen behind in electrification, notably because they did not invest early enough in this transformation. Today, they are clearly being overtaken by their American and Chinese competitors, who have gained a significant technological and industrial lead.

In this context, the European Union is seeking to give them a form of breathing space. This is not an abandonment of climate goals, but rather a loosening of the timetable for manufacturers who did not truly play the game of the transition to electric from the outset.

What consequences do you think this European decision — abandoning all-electric by 2035 — will have on the electrification of the Swiss vehicle fleet?

It should be recalled that Switzerland is not legally bound by the decisions of the European Union, even though it largely draws inspiration from them. Concretely, Switzerland has adopted in the CO₂ Act the European targets for reducing CO₂ emissions of vehicle fleets up to 2030, and that does not change.

However, the target set for 2035 remains open. In Switzerland, the zero grams of CO₂ target for fleets is not yet defined; it will have to be specified in the next revision of the CO₂ Act. Historically, Switzerland has always closely followed European recommendations and regulations in this area.

It is therefore very likely that we will also move towards a similar postponement of the zero-emission target for 2035, in line with the European Union. However, this evolution could send a less clear political signal to the market and temporarily slow certain investments or purchasing decisions.

On the other hand, it is important to underline a positive point: in the truck and heavy goods vehicle segment, Switzerland is ahead.

Compared to other European countries, Switzerland is lagging in electrifying its mobility. How can this slowness be explained in a wealthy country?

Switzerland has indeed moved, in just a few years, from a position in the European top 5 — just behind the Scandinavian countries — to a 13th or 14th place in Europe in terms of car electrification.

This decline is explained above all by unfavorable framework conditions. Switzerland has never implemented federal purchase subsidies for electric vehicles, nor direct federal support for charging infrastructure. Added to this was the removal of the exemption from import taxes on electric vehicles, which increased their cost.

Another major obstacle for a long time was the absence of a real "right to a charging point," particularly in collective housing. Although this right was recently adopted, it is not yet fully effective on the ground, which continues to hinder the installation of charging stations.

On the other hand, it is important to underline a positive point: in the truck and heavy goods vehicle segment, Switzerland is ahead. In 2025, it is the first European country to have electrified so many trucks and heavy goods vehicles, notably thanks to a coherent and incentivizing policy in this area.

Do current political debates reflect a loss of political will regarding the mobility transition?

Yes, one can clearly speak of a contradiction. On the one hand, Switzerland has set a very ambitious climate target: achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, a goal accepted by the people in 2017. It should be recalled that road transport accounts for about one third of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. It is therefore impossible to achieve this climate goal without massive electrification of the vehicle fleet.

Yet these issues sometimes seem relegated to the background in public debate. This is particularly evident with the federal consultation on a tax on the electricity used to charge vehicles, intended to finance roads. Introducing such taxation at this stage of the transition seems premature and sends a contradictory signal given the stated climate objectives.

PHEVs can play a transitional role, but they should no longer benefit from the same advantages as 100% electric vehicles if they are not actually used in electric mode.

What should Switzerland do to reverse the trend?

Switzerland has several clear levers. First, it should implement car taxation coherently based on CO₂ emissions over the entire life cycle of vehicles. Targeted and temporary incentives could also play an important role, particularly for company cars, corporate fleets, heavy goods vehicles or certain specific uses.

The deployment of charging infrastructure must also be accelerated, particularly in collective housing and at workplaces. And above all, Switzerland needs stable, coherent and credible political communication in order to restore the confidence of citizens and businesses in the transition trajectory.

Do you understand the growing criticism about putting 100% electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) in the same basket?

Yes, these criticisms are entirely legitimate. Numerous studies show that plug-in hybrid vehicles are, in practice, often very rarely charged. Equipped with two engines, two tanks and two technologies, they ultimately result in heavier vehicles that combine the drawbacks of both systems.

Under these conditions, their real environmental benefit is significantly lower than what is announced on paper. Their impact depends entirely on usage behavior, which poses a real problem when they benefit from the same regulatory or fiscal advantages as 100% electric vehicles. It is clearly a transition technology between the combustion vehicle and the electric vehicle.

Should we go so far as to distinguish, or even penalize, PHEVs in favor of 100% electric vehicles?

It becomes necessary to clearly differentiate technologies based on their real impact. PHEVs can play a transitional role, but they should no longer benefit from the same advantages as 100% electric vehicles if they are not actually used in electric mode.

At the cantonal level, for example, some cantons already distinguish the two technologies for vehicle taxation, granting a larger reduction to fully electric vehicles.

In the long term, if the goal is to achieve climate neutrality, public policies must clearly favor zero-emission solutions in use, while avoiding windfall effects.

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