One in five new cars (20.9%) sold in Switzerland in 2023 was a battery electric vehicle. Sales continued to grow last year but at a slower pace than expected.

Between the end of 2022 and the end of 2023, the market share of battery electric cars (BEV) grew from 17.3% to 20.9%, while plug-in hybrids rose from 8% to 9.2%. In total, 30.1% of new cars sold were electric-powered, Swiss eMobility said on Monday.

Overall, the share of petrol-engine vehicles sold in Switzerland dropped from 37.8% (2022) to 33.3% (2023), and diesel-powered vehicles slid from 11.7% to 9.3%.

As of January 1, 2024, 163,511 electric cars were in circulation on Swiss roads, out of a total of 4.5 million cars. It will probably take another twenty years for the entire fleet to be electric, according to projections by Swiss eMobility. …