TCS-Barometer E-Mobility 2022: Energy shortage changes mindset on electromobility

Switzerland is a nation of motorists. Almost half of the Swiss resident population owns a car and around a third even own several cars. The car is also the means of transport most used in everyday life. On the other hand, every fifth person gets by without a car, and public transport remains a backbone of mobility – even in times during and after Corona. Although traditional cars are undisputedly the most widespread, around three quarters of the population are open to electromobility (car or e-bike). The current commodity prices and the possibly imminent electricity shortage are not leaving the Swiss resident population unscathed. Thus, the current situation has an impact on the current and future mobility behaviour of the population. Around a quarter see their mobility affected by the rising price of fuel, and around an eighth have decided to postpone the purchase of an electric car or not to buy one at all because of the electricity shortage. Considerations such as the unpredictability of the power supply or the high cost of electricity speak for some against an immediate purchase and slightly lower the intentions of the resident population to travel by electric car in the future. However, there is still a clear belief in the future of electromobility. At the same time, the barriers to the purchase of an electric car are increasingly disappearing in the perception of the population. The top three arguments against the purchase of an electric car – the high purchase costs, the short range and the lack of charging stations – are losing ground. In the area of infrastructure, the focus now seems to be shifting from the generally available infrastructure to the private charging infrastructure. The argument that there is a lack of individual charging infrastructure at the workplace or home is increasingly supported.

Further key results are summarised in the short report (German, French and Italian).