Switzerland simplifies the use of electric trucks weighing 4.25 tons

In Switzerland, electric commercial vehicles with a total weight of up to 4.25 tons will soon be treated under traffic rules as equivalent to standard 3.5-ton trucks. Starting October 1, requirements such as vehicle data recorders will no longer apply to these vehicles, and they will be allowed to accelerate to 120 km/h.

In Switzerland, electric delivery vans have been allowed to weigh up to 750 kilograms more than their diesel counterparts since April 2022. In other words, they may weigh a total of 4.25 tons instead of 3.5 tons. This compensates for the additional weight of the emission-free propulsion system. However, these heavier electric vehicles still had to meet certain requirements derived from the truck sector until now. That will soon change.

The Swiss Federal Council has approved an amendment to the legal framework to further promote the decarbonization of delivery traffic. The necessary changes to five regulations under Swiss road traffic law will take effect on October 1, 2026. From then on, electric commercial vehicles with a total weight of up to 4.25 tons will be exempt from several requirements that normally apply to motor vehicles over 3.5 tons.

“Electrified mobility must be competitive in freight transport,” emphasizes Switzerland’s Federal Road Administration ASTRA. Among the changes is that drivers of electric delivery vans weighing up to 4.25 tons no longer need to be affected by the “Trucks prohibited” sign. The requirement for driving recorders is also removed, as drivers of electric delivery vans “are newly exempt from working, driving, and rest time regulations in inland traffic.” According to ASTRA, this also reduces the frequency of inspections for electric delivery vans: “In the future, these vehicles will have the same inspection intervals as conventional commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tons. The cantons must apply the new inspection intervals starting February 1, 2028.”

Another change relates to the permitted maximum speed: while motor vehicles over 3.5 tons are allowed a maximum speed of 100 km/h in Switzerland, electric commercial vehicles up to 4.25 tons now have a maximum speed of 120 km/h, similar to other 3.5-ton vehicles.

astra.admin.ch, astra.admin.ch (4.25 tons since 2022)