Cars in Switzerland: lower emissions, but plug-in hybrids pollute more than expected

In 2023 and 2024, the average emissions from new vehicles in Switzerland were below the set limit. Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Switzerland has met its targets for reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from new cars. At least on paper. In 2023 and 2024, the average emissions from newly registered vehicles fell below the statutory limit of 118 grams of CO₂ per kilometre.

A victory for climate policy. But the reality is more complicated, as revealed in the report Effects of CO₂ Emissions Regulations for New Cars, Vans and Light Tractors 2012–2024External link, approved on June 24 by the Swiss federal government.

The problem with plug-in hybrid vehicles

The most striking finding emerges from a seemingly technical section of the report: the discrepancy between emissions measured in the laboratory and actual on-road emissions. For conventional combustion-engine vehicles, this difference has stabilised at around 18-19% – a figure that is already significant, but at least stable. For plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), however, the situation is far more worrying.

According to data from the European Environment Agency, in 2023 the real-world emissions of PHEVs were on average five times higher than those recorded in laboratory tests. The reason is as simple as it is embarrassing: these vehicles, designed to operate predominantly in electric mode, are used in everyday life much more often with the petrol or diesel engine running. The battery runs flat, fuel is consumed and CO₂ emissions rise. Yet in the official figures, these vehicles appear to produce almost no emissions.

The regulatory framework is based entirely on laboratory test results. Manufacturers, unsurprisingly, optimise their vehicles for those tests – not for real-world use. The result is a structural distortion: targets are met on paper, while on-road emissions remain significantly higher.

Vans miss the target

While the picture for passenger cars is at least formally positive, light commercial vehicles – vans and light articulated lorries – missed their emissions target in 2024. Average emissions rose to 192.4 grams per kilometre, against a target of 186. Six of the ten leading importers failed to meet their individual targets, incurring fines totalling more than CHF21 million ($26 million). The main reason was the decline in registrations of electric vehicles in this segment. After a promising 2023, demand contracted in 2024. The market for electric vans remains underdeveloped: few models are available, prices are high, and charging infrastructure is still inadequate for professional operators. The regulations are pushing the market in the right direction, but it is not yet keeping pace with the requirements.

Ever larger and heavier SUVs

The report also highlights another trend: the unstoppable rise of SUVs. In 2024, more than half of all new cars registered in Switzerland – 54% – belonged to this category. In 2020, the figure was 43%. This steady growth has come at the expense of city cars and other small vehicles designed for urban traffic.

SUVs consume more energy, weigh more and generate more emissions than vehicles of a similar size with conventional bodywork. The fact that many are now available in electric or hybrid versions does not eliminate this inherent disadvantage.

An electric SUV weighing more than two tonnes generally has a greater overall energy footprint than a compact electric saloon, even though both may contribute similarly towards meeting statutory targets. The current calculation system does not always capture this difference.

A necessary, but not sufficient, measure

Few would dispute that emissions regulations have had a real impact. The market has shifted, importers have changed their strategies, and electrification has accelerated. But the Swiss federal government’s report also carries a warning: measuring the success of climate policy solely on the basis of laboratory figures is not enough.

As long as PHEVs continue to be counted as near-zero-emission vehicles while being driven predominantly with their internal combustion engines, there is a risk that the figures present a more reassuring picture than the reality. Switzerland has already tightened the method for calculating CO₂ emissions from PHEVs as of January 1, 2025, with a further tightening planned for 2027.

Since January 1 last year, the target value for new cars has fallen to 93.6 g/km under the WLTP cycleExternal link. Next year, with the introduction of the Euro 7 standard, the rules will become even stricter.

Translated from Italian, sub-edited by Alexandra MV Andrist