Electric cars and hybrids: do they need a vignette?
Yes. Electric cars, plug-in hybrids and other hybrids with a total weight of up to 3.5 t need a vignette on Swiss motorways and expressways, just like any other motor vehicle. The law makes no distinction by type of drive, and there is no exemption for electric vehicles.
Which electric and hybrid vehicles need a vignette?
All motor vehicles with a total weight of up to 3.5 t that use motorways or expressways, whether electric, hybrid or with a combustion engine. Differences only arise above 3.5 t and for vehicles that are not allowed on the motorway at all.
The charge applies to motor vehicles and trailers registered in Switzerland or abroad that use motorways or expressways (Art. 3 NSAG). How a vehicle is powered makes no difference. The exemptions are listed in Art. 4 NSAG, for example police and fire brigade vehicles or motorcycle trailers; electric and hybrid vehicles are not among them.
So the same rules apply as for combustion-engine vehicles: the vignette is valid for the same period, and if you drive without a valid vignette, you also pay a CHF 200 fine (Art. 14(1) NSAG). As an e-vignette, the vignette is registered to the number plate, as with any other vehicle, see How the e-vignette works.
| Vehicle | Vignette required? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Electric car up to 3.5 t | Yes | Same as any car |
| Plug-in hybrid or full hybrid up to 3.5 t | Yes | Same as any car |
| Fuel cell car (hydrogen) up to 3.5 t | Yes | Same as any car |
| Electric van or motorhome up to 3.5 t | Yes | What counts is the total weight in the vehicle registration document |
| Electric van or motorhome over 3.5 t | Check with the FOCBS | Currently exempt from the heavy vehicle charge |
| Hybrid van or motorhome over 3.5 t | No | Heavy vehicle charge instead of the vignette |
| Electric motorcycle permitted on motorways | Yes | We are not currently accepting motorcycle orders |
| Electric motor scooter with no more than 4 kW | No | Not permitted on motorways and expressways |
| E-bike | No | Not permitted on motorways and expressways |
Under Art. 3 and 4 NSAG, Art. 2(1)(k) SVAV, Art. 35 VRV and FOCBS Regulations R 15-01 and R 15-02.
Do plug-in hybrids need a vignette?
Yes. Plug-in hybrids up to 3.5 t require a vignette like any car, regardless of whether you are currently driving on electric power or with the combustion engine.
The type of drive only makes a difference for vehicles over 3.5 t, and only for the heavy vehicle charge: just battery-electric and fuel cell vehicles are exempt from it. Hybrid vehicles pay the full charge (Regulation R 15-02 of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, FOCBS).
Which weight counts for heavy electric cars and electric vans?
What counts is the total weight entered in the vehicle registration document, not the kerb weight. If it is no more than 3.5 t, you need the vignette.
This is laid down in FOCBS Regulation R 15-01 (section 3.3.1). On registration certificates from EU countries, the total weight corresponds to field F.2; how to tell F.1 and F.2 apart is explained in the guide Vignette for motorhomes. Check the entry especially for vans and motorhomes whose total weight is close to 3.5 t.
What applies to electric vehicles over 3.5 t?
Above 3.5 t, the rules of the heavy vehicle charge generally apply. Purely electric vehicles are currently exempt from this charge, hybrid vehicles are not. Whether an exempt electric vehicle needs a vignette is something to clarify with the FOCBS before you travel.
Vehicles subject to the heavy vehicle charge do not need a vignette (Art. 3(2) NSAG). Goods vehicles pay the performance-related charge (LSVA), motorhomes and other passenger vehicles the lump-sum charge (PSVA). How the PSVA works, which unlike the vignette applies on all roads, is explained in the guide PSVA for motorhomes.
Motor vehicles with electric drive are exempt from the heavy vehicle charge (Art. 2(1)(k) SVAV). Only battery-electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles count as such. According to the FOCBS, the exemption is expected to apply until the end of 2028.
Neither the NSAG nor the FOCBS regulations state explicitly whether an electric vehicle over 3.5 t that is exempt in this way needs a vignette on motorways. Ask the FOCBS information centre before your trip, Monday to Friday on +41 58 467 15 15.
What applies to e-motorcycles and e-bikes?
Electric motorcycles that are allowed on the motorway need a vignette like any motorcycle. E-bikes are not allowed on motorways and expressways at all and therefore do not need one.
Only motor vehicles that can and may reach at least 80 km/h are permitted on motorways and expressways. Motorcycles with an engine output of no more than 4 kW may not use them (Art. 35 VRV). Motorcycles need a vignette. We are not currently accepting orders for motorcycles.
E-bikes provide pedal assistance up to 25 km/h at most (slow e-bikes) or up to 45 km/h (fast e-bikes). Fast e-bikes count as mopeds; two-wheelers with an engine output of more than 1,000 watts or a top speed of more than 45 km/h fall into the motorcycle category (ch.ch). The annual e-bike vignette that fast e-bikes need is not the motorway vignette.
What applies to rented electric cars and car subscriptions?
The same as for any rental car: ask the provider whether the vehicle has a vignette. An e-vignette belongs to the number plate, not to the vehicle.
If the provider swaps the vehicle during the term, the number plate is what counts: if it stays the same, the e-vignette remains valid. With a new vehicle and a new number plate, it cannot be transferred. What to look out for at handover is explained in the guide Vignette for rental cars.
Frequently asked questions
Do electric cars get a reduced vignette in Switzerland?
No. The National Highways Charge Act provides neither an exemption nor a reduction for electric vehicles.
Do I have to state when ordering that my car is electric?
No. What counts for the registration are the vehicle type, country of registration and number plate. Our form does not ask about the type of drive.
Does my e-vignette remain valid if I switch from a combustion-engine car to an electric car?
Yes, if you keep the number plate. The e-vignette is tied to the number plate and then automatically applies to the new vehicle.
Do I need the motorway vignette for my fast e-bike?
No. Fast e-bikes count as mopeds and are not allowed on motorways and expressways. The annual e-bike vignette is a different vignette from the motorway vignette.