Switzerland is considering a 80 km/h speed limit on highways due to fuel shortages
Switzerland is preparing for fuel shortages and considering lowering the speed limit on highways from 120 to 80 km/h. The idea was proposed by the Federal Office for Economic Supply (BWL). Activists want electric cars to retain the current speed limit of 120 km/h, but no details on the regulation have been released yet.
Fines in Switzerland are strict, so no one there treats the speed limits as guidelines.
At Risk: Gasoline, Tense Situation for Diesel
Supplies of kerosene are already “at risk,” while the situation with diesel is “tense and closely monitored.” In both cases, Switzerland has resorted to strategic reserves to stabilize the market. The problems stem from conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, as well as between the US and Iran, along with poor weather in France and low river levels on the Rhine, which hinder deliveries.
80 km/h is a speed limit that has never been in effect in Switzerland. The limit on expressways has always been 100 km/h. Motorways have gone through a longer evolution:
no limit until 1973,
100 km/h in 1973,
130 km/h in 1974,
120 km/h since 1984.
It is unclear under what conditions an 80 km/h limit would come into effect or how much fuel savings such a restriction would yield. The decision could be made by the Federal Council, which is equivalent to Poland’s government.
Electric vehicles exempt from the limit, like in Austria
Activists and some local media are proposing an exception for electric vehicles. The argument is simple: electric cars do not rely on petroleum-based fuels, so there is no reason to slow them down. These are currently just external voices, not draft regulations.
A similar solution is in place in Austria. On sections marked with the IG-L symbol, where traffic worsens air quality, diesel vehicles are limited to 100 km/h, while electric vehicles remain at 130 km/h. The Austrians introduced this measure due to smog. In Switzerland, the reason would be fuel shortages.
If the Swiss decide to adopt such a solution, electric vehicle drivers would receive an official reward in the regulations for their independence from oil.
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