Switzerland: Electric cars rapidly reach 30 percent market share

4,843 electric vehicles were newly registered in Switzerland and Liechtenstein in August. This represents a 30.2 percent share of BEVs among all new car registrations that month — a significant jump from the first half of the year, when an average of 24 percent of new cars were pure electric vehicles.

According to the latest figures from the importers’ association auto-schweiz, new electric vehicle registrations in Switzerland and Liechtenstein rose by 48.7 percent in August 2026 compared to the same month last year, from 3,257 to 4,843. This August figure represents a share of 30.2 percent for BEVs in all new car registrations that month—a new record. In the first half of the year, the average share of BEVs was still 23.9 percent. It was 25.8 percent in July. Thus, the portion of the car market occupied by BEVs grew significantly in August.

The overall market in Switzerland and Liechtenstein remains stagnant: “In traditionally weak August, the market for new passenger cars in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein recorded 16,047 registrations, 0.6 percent fewer than in the weak previous-year month,” says the importers’ association. Since the start of the year, 151,589 new registrations have been logged, 1.8 percent more than in the first eight months of the previous year. As a result, the Swiss market lags behind many European passenger car markets, which showed stronger growth in 2026.

Let’s look at the mix of powertrains: Ahead of electric vehicles, which reached 30.2% market share in August, are full and mild hybrids with 5,981 units and a 37.3% market share. Their sales remain almost unchanged compared to the previous month (+2.4% YoY). The share of pure gasoline engines drops significantly from 24% to 16% market share. In absolute terms, there were 2,566 such vehicles in August (-33.7% YoY). Following them are plug-in hybrids (which the statistics also include range-extender electric vehicles) with a 11.9% market share and 1,903 units. However, they were already more popular a year ago, resulting in a 4.3% decline. The last notable type of powertrain in August was diesel vehicles, still accounting for 4.7% of the market share. With 754 units, their registration numbers are now in the three-digit range (-35.9% YoY).

The analysts at auto-schweiz emphasize that plug-in vehicles (i.e., BEV, PHEV, and EREV) now account for 37.2 percent of the market share due to a strong August performance so far this year — thus surpassing non-plug-in hybrids (36.7 percent). In contrast, cars with purely gasoline and diesel engines have lost ground, accounting for only 20.6 percent and 5.5 percent of new registrations respectively since the start of the year. Moreover, “in August, only one in five new vehicles was powered by fossil fuels.”

Thomas Rücker, director of auto-schweiz, commented: “The August figures demonstrate the still very tense situation in the industry. The extremely low overall market performance undermines prospects in the new vehicle sector. Deregulation and flexibility in CO2 regulations, along the lines of those in the rest of Europe, are urgently needed. Additionally, rising registrations of plug-in vehicles should not be hindered by new regulatory measures. New taxes or regulatory burdens on electric vehicles have a counterproductive effect. Any additional fees are completely unnecessary.”