Is electromobility igniting the turbo?
Slowly, the electric car is gaining momentum. The CO2 Act, the centerpiece of Switzerland's climate policy, could give e-mobility a further boost if the bill is adopted in June.
It can't be argued away: Transport is Switzerland's biggest climate polluter - it accounts for a third of greenhouse gas emissions. The revised CO2 law, which will be voted on in June, aims to halve Switzerland's greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. How much each sector must contribute varies. By 2030, the CO2 Ordinance sets the following reduction targets for individual sectors compared to 1990: Buildings (- 65%), Transport (- 25%), Industry (- 35%) and Agriculture (- 20%). The CO2 Ordinance has recently been submitted for consultation by the federal government (cf. under https://bit.ly/32t0oxS).
clearly superior in terms of CO2: The e-car
A trend reversal in the transport sector is not in sight at the moment, CO2 emissions are unfortunately not falling. Would a yes to the CO2 law change anything? The total revision relies on a combination of financial incentives, investments and new technologies. A majority of the business community is in favor of the bill, as are the two mobility associations Touring-Club Schweiz (TCS) and Verkehrs-Club Schweiz (VCS); not so the Automobilclub der Schweiz (ACS), which is at the forefront of the referendum committee.
With the revised CO2 Act, gasoline and diesel will only become indirectly more expensive: Those who import the fuels will have to invest more in climate protection, which will lead to higher costs for them than before. According to the CO2 Act, they are allowed to charge a surcharge for these investments at the filling station. The upper limit is now 12 centimes per liter instead of the previous 5 centimes. The increased climate protection measures could also promote electromobility. This is because "electric cars", according to Car environmental list of the VCS emits between 10.1 and 13.9 g CO2/km (for the top 10 of all passenger car classes); for the combustion engine, the figure is 98 to 140 g CO2/km (top ten of all passenger car classes) - i.e. significantly more.
Promote e-fueling stations in the neighborhood
According to the new CO2 law, car dealers will be obliged to offer more efficient vehicles. These are, for example, cars with electric drives. In parallel, the CO2 Act pushes e-charging stations: Provision is made for financial support for the construction of e-charging stations in housing estates and apartment buildings. Today, there are just over 5000 public e-charging stations in Switzerland. Those who can refuel in their neighborhood are more likely to switch to an e-car. A Yes to the CO2 law would probably boost e-mobility, and Switzerland would come a few steps closer to the climate targets it has set itself, even in the difficult transport sector.
More information on the topic:
- What the revised CO2 law aims to achieve
- Roadmap Electromobility CH: Three Proposals
- Car environmental list of the VCS
- Net zero target requires drastic measures
