Swiss mobility habits react to rising fuel prices

The Swiss are adapting to rising fuel prices (survey) Keystone-SDA

Faced with soaring fuel prices, the Swiss are reassessing the way they travel, according to a survey.

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Some 42.1% of the 1,000 people questioned between the end of April and mid-May said they were using public transport more often and 35.2% were walking more frequently, according to a survey from the Marketagent Schweiz research institute.

Less than a third (23.6%) said they were cycling or scooting more often, while 14.7% were working from home more often.

While most of those surveyed fear persistently high fuel prices and said this was having an impact on their budget, more than half (56.9%) do not plan to buy an electric vehicle because of this situation. Only 4.2% have already taken the plunge and 16.9% are considering it.

If they were to buy a new car, 32.6% would choose a hybrid, but petrol (31%) would still come out ahead of an electric vehicle (26.1%). Diesel, on the other hand, is losing ground, with only 7.1% of respondents considering this type of engine.

Demand for electric cars in Switzerland has risen sharply in 2025, with a 48% increase in searches, a 69% increase in contact requests and a 40% increase in sales on the AutoScout24 car portal, as recently reported by online platform operator SMG.

But the share of electric cars in the Swiss car fleet has stabilised (21.7% of new registrations, up 1.2 percentage points).

However, an electric recharge is cheaper than a full tank of petrol, especially if it is done at home or at work. A recent analysis by Swisscharge shows that it costs around CHF5.23 per 100 km, compared with CHF11.08 for a petrol car.

Adapted from French by AI/mga

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