Switzerland may ban electric vehicles this winter

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine drags on, countries across Europe are trying to find ways to ride out the impending energy crisis. In Switzerland, the government is considering a plan to ban electric vehicles for the winter.

Switzerland will ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. But that’s more than 10 years away, and the Swiss first need to get through the winter.

According to German news outlet Der Spiegel, the Swiss government is mulling over a four-part plan to curb the use of electricity. Part three of the plan involves banning electric vehicle driving except in cases of “absolutely necessary journeys.” Switzerland would become the first European country to limit the driving and use of EVs.

Switzerland does produce some of its own electricity but usually imports some from France and Germany to meet all its needs. But foreign supplies aren’t what they used to be.

The French are producing less electricity from nuclear sources. Since the French electrical grid is under strain due to a lack of supply, the possibility of blackouts in France is looking more like a reality. In neighboring Germany, the government there is scrambling to find enough natural gas to cover the loss of its Russian supply and will likely export far less electricity this year than in years past.

The Swiss Federal Electricity Commission has been sounding the alarm on electric shortages since June. The Commission said Switzerland will likely need to rely on Austria or Italy to meet its power needs this winter. However, the Austrians and Italians are also heavily reliant on natural gas supplies to produce electricity, and natural gas is in shorter supply this year, as well.

Editor’s note: This article was updated to correct an error that said Switzerland was a member of the European Union. Switzerland is not an EU member state. We regret the error. Switzerland is following along with the EU’s plan, however, to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035.