In the Canton of Schwyz, cars emit the most CO2 on average. picture: keystone
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The world in maps
This map shows in which canton the “dirtiest” cars were bought in 2019
For the fourth time in a row, Switzerland misses the CO2 targets for new cars. When we look at the cantons, we see that Zug is no longer at the top and electric cars are still busy.
The 314,000 passenger cars newly registered in Switzerland in 2019 release more CO2 into the air than permitted. The car importers missed the current target value of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer for the fourth time in a row.
At around 138.1 grams per kilometer, the average CO2 emissions of new cars were even slightly higher than in 2018, as the Federal Office of Energy (BFE) announced on Thursday. The average fuel consumption of 6.18 liters of gasoline equivalent in 2019 was 1.6 percent higher for new cars than in the previous year.
In which canton do the largest dirt blasters operate in terms of CO2 emissions? If you look at the statistics of the newly registered cars in 2018, there is a clear «winner». However, it is no longer the canton of Zug, as was the case in 2018.
Details on the numbers of Appenzell Innerrhoden: See also info box below.
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The target value of 130 grams has never been reached: in 2015 it was missed by 5 grams, in 2016 and 2017 by 4 grams each and in 2018 by almost 8 grams, as the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication (Uvek) had already informed in February.
More four-wheel drive vehicles
According to the SFOE, CO2 emissions rose again in 2019 because more four-wheel drive vehicles were sold, the cars had a higher curb weight and because fewer diesel vehicles were sold again. In addition, the more realistic values that the new standardized test procedure for measuring fuel consumption and exhaust gas values have contributed to the slight increase in CO2 emissions.
Even higher without electric vehicles
Without the influence of electric vehicles, the average value of CO2 emissions from new cars would be around 145 grams per kilometer, according to the BFE. The share of electric vehicles in the number of new vehicles registered was 5.6 percent in 2019. In the previous year, this share was only 3.2 percent.
The car importers were fined around CHF 78 million gross, around 47 million more than in 2018 due to the renewed exceeding of the target value for CO2 emissions, around 79 million percent of the sanction burden for the 79 major importers. According to the SFOE, the net income of around CHF 76 million will be allocated to the National Road and Agglomeration Transport Fund (NAF).
More about electric cars:
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“Under the threshold of perception”
For the Swiss Traffic Club (VCS), these sanction payments are too low, as he announced on Thursday. They accounted for just 0.57 percent of sales or CHF 250 per new car sold. With an average new car price of over CHF 43,000, this is below the “perception threshold” of buyers. For the VCS, a sanction waiver, as the importers demanded because of the corona pandemic, would be “a surrender of climate policy to the car lobby”.
From 2015, the CO2 emissions from newly registered passenger cars should have been reduced to an average of 130 grams per kilometer. This value was valid until the end of 2019. The target value of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer has been in effect since the beginning of 2020. From 2020, newly registered delivery vans and light articulated lorries will also fall under the CO2 emission regulations. According to the SFOE, their emissions decreased slightly in 2019. (fox / sda)
