Swiss consumers buying fewer new cars

Swiss don't want to buy a new car Keystone-SDA

The Swiss are buying fewer cars and the vehicle fleet is ageing, according to the vehicle importers' association Auto-Swiss.

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Specifically, according to data released on January 2 by Auto-Swiss, the importers’ association, but with little media coverage apart from the Tages-Anzeiger, 233,700 new cars will be on the road in 2025, the lowest figure for more than 25 years.

+ Why electric car sales are stalling in Switzerland

This represents a further drop of 2% compared to a 2024, which had already been a forgettable year. Before the pandemic, some 300,000 vehicles were leaving dealerships every year.

Consumers complain that cars are too expensive and too many electronics.

“The Swiss car market has reached an all-time low,” said Auto-Swiss president Peter Grünenfelder. “This development is the result of a flawed climate policy, with excessive regulation of CO2 emissions unique in Europe, which has serious consequences for importers, dealers and the Swiss automotive industry as a whole.”

Federal policy must finally adapt to market realities, he added. “CO2-free mobility cannot be achieved with exorbitant sanctions and a planned economy, but only with technological openness, a functioning ecosystem and financial incentives. In addition to the abolition of sanctions, it is necessary to waive new taxes on electric vehicles and to abolish the 4% import duty.”

In the January-December 2025 period, the advance of the hybrid (+3% per year to 82,600), the electric (+15% to 53,300) and above all the plug-in hybrid (+26% to 26,200) stands out, while the petrol engine (-20% to 55,700) and diesel (-29% to 16,000) are lagging behind. The share of alternative engines reached 69% (it was 62% in 2024).

The renewal of the vehicle fleet will therefore slow down further. According to the latest survey by the Federal Statistical Office, the average age of a car in Switzerland is 10.5 years, whereas 25 years ago (in 2000) it was still 7.4 years.

Adapted from Italian by DeepL/mga

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