Switzerland will align its CO2 targets for vans and trucks with EU targets.
The Swiss Federal Council intends to align the CO2 requirements for newly registered trucks and vans with EU targets. While this would relax the CO2 limits for light commercial vehicles starting in 2030, it means stricter regulations for trucks.
Electric trucks from Swiss logistics company Hugelshofer (illustrative image)
Image: Hugelshofer
The Swiss Federal Council is pushing to align climate requirements for road transport with EU standards. The federal government has now submitted the corresponding draft revisions to the CO2 Act and the Energy Act into the official consultation process (known as public consultation). The goal is to adjust the requirements for new vehicles starting in 2030 to match the EU Commission’s announced vehicle package. However, requirements for the period after 2035 are explicitly not part of this legislative package — it thus excludes the ongoing EU debate on phasing out internal combustion engines.
Significant Adjustments in the Commercial Vehicle Sector
In the commercial vehicle sector, the draft proposes significant changes: For light commercial vehicles, such as vans or trucks, the CO2 requirements are set to be relaxed compared to previous decisions. The target value starting in 2030 would rise from the originally planned 90.6 to 108.7 g/km.
For heavy commercial vehicles, namely trucks, Switzerland aims to take stricter measures. Instead of the previously planned 30 percent reduction in emissions, the proposal calls for a 45 percent reduction starting in 2030. Swiss transport companies are already on track to meet this target: according to figures from the ACEA, the share of electric trucks among newly registered trucks in Switzerland in the first half of 2026 was 26 percent (trucks with a gross weight of 16 tons or more). A subsidy program launched in early 2026 to support the installation of truck charging infrastructure has seen such strong demand that the budget was doubled from 20 million to 40 million francs in October.
No change to the CO2 target for passenger cars
For passenger cars, the statutory CO2 fleet targets remain unchanged starting in 2030, as they are already aligned with the strict EU requirements in Switzerland. After being reduced to an average of 93.6 grams of CO2 per kilometer (according to WLTP) since 2025, the target of 49.5 g/km remains unchanged for passenger cars starting in 2030. Switzerland is also well on track in this area: in October, 34.9 percent of new passenger car registrations were electric. However, importers benefit from administrative simplifications: the compliance calculation for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles is set to become more flexible, allowing target achievement to be measured over a three-year average (2030 to 2032) rather than on an annual basis.
Switzerland aims to adopt the EU vehicle labeling system
In addition to fleet targets, vehicle labeling is also set to be revised. The current Swiss energy label will be replaced by the future unified EU vehicle label. Since the classification under the EU standard is primarily based on local CO2 emissions, all pure electric vehicles will now automatically fall into the highest efficiency class A. Under the Swiss system, many electric vehicles previously only reached category B due to the base electricity mix taken into account. Furthermore, manufacturers will be able to include the label at the factory, reducing import complexities.
Although the automotive package in Brussels may still undergo adjustments, the Federal Council is initiating the legislative process now to avoid delays in implementation. The deadline for submitting comments during the consultation process is February 18, 2027.