Switzerland is considering introducing various taxes around electric cars. Taxes that could inspire other countries like France.
The arrival of electric cars on the market has sparked much debate, particularly because of its economic consequencesIn Switzerland, the transition to electric mobility is facing fiscal challenges, pushing the government to consider the introduction of new taxes to compensate for the loss of revenue associated with the reduction in thermal cars on the roads.
While various European countries are encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles through various subsidies and restrictions on polluting vehicles, Switzerland is facing another problemIn Switzerland, the reduction in the number of thermal vehicles in circulation has led to a significant tax lossestimated at 300 million Swiss francs (around 313 million euros), last year. In Switzerland, vehicle owners pay an annual tax based on certain criteria such as engine power, CO2 emissions and cylinder capacity. With the rise of electric cars, These revenues have decreasedbecause electric vehicles are often taxed less in order to be more attractive.
New taxes on electric cars?
To fill this gap, the Swiss government has already taken measures in 2023, in particular by removing the tax exemption electric vehicles. However, this is not enough. The government is now considering two new taxes specific to electric cars. The first proposal is a tax based on the number of kilometers traveled. While this measure may seem simple, its implementation poses legal and privacy issues, requiring the installation of tracking devices on each vehicle.
The second tax under consideration concerns the energy consumption of electric cars, with a kilowatt hour (kWh) taxation. This solution is also complex to implement, because it requires a precise monitoring electricity consumption, often provided by private sources. Collecting this data could prove difficult.
New taxes that could dissuade some consumers to buy an electric car.
If they were to be implemented in Switzerland, these taxes on electric cars could well influence other nations like France. Let’s see how all this will evolve.
Source: www.autoplus.fr