Electric vehicle uptake continues to grow slowly
(05.08.2026) The Swiss passenger car market returned to growth in the first half of 2026. A total of 116,584 new passenger cars were registered in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, 36.3% of which were plug-in vehicles, according to the industry association Auto-Suisse.
Overall, new passenger car registrations increased by 3% compared with the first half of 2025. In June 2026 alone, 25,207 new passenger cars were registered in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, an increase of 15.6% compared with the same month a year earlier. Part of this increase is due to a calendar effect, as June 2025 included more public holidays.
The transition to electric vehicles also continued during the first half of the year. Sales of fully electric vehicles rose by 20.2% to 27,889 units, while plug-in hybrid vehicles increased by 24.7% to 14,456 units. Together, plug-in vehicles accounted for 36.3% of the market, nearly matching the share of hybrid vehicles (36.5%) for the first time. Vehicles powered solely by gasoline or diesel represented the remaining 27.2% of the market.
Despite this progress, rechargeable vehicles still make up fewer than one in ten cars currently on Swiss roads. Although more than 350 electric models are now available, the range of vehicles on the market has not yet been enough to overcome consumers' reservations and persuade most new car buyers to make the switch, according to Thomas Rücker, Director of Auto-Suisse.
Auto-Suisse is calling on the Federal Government to quickly adopt the CO₂ relief measures approved by the European Union, without introducing additional regulations, in order to avoid "cost and competitiveness disadvantages." The association is also calling for tax incentives, an expansion of the public charging infrastructure, competitive electricity prices, and incentives to encourage charging at home and at work.