Cost of charging an electric car in Switzerland: everything you need to know

Opting for an electric car means choosing an ecological, clean, efficient, and much cheaper mode of transport than gasoline, especially considering the exponential rise in fuel prices in Switzerland.

But you still need to know how to choose the right charging station along the road, as the price per kWh can vary by as much as double depending on the region and the provider.

How much does electric charging cost? Our comparison of charging stations and chargers

It's no longer a secret, to charge an electric car, you have three options:

• The standard socket at home: a slow technique with a high risk of overheating
• The wall-mounted car charger (or wallbox): much faster and more secure
• Public charging stations: which allow you to charge your electric vehicle along the road

We will focus on the latter first, comparing different providers based on the price per kWh in Switzerland and the region they are located in. And you'll see, electric car charging prices can vary dramatically!

At public charging stations

Several providers compete in the public charging station market in Switzerland, the main ones being:

• Move
• Ionity
• Evpass
• Energie 360
• Gofast

In addition to varying by provider, the cost of charging an electric car in Switzerland can vary depending on different factors, such as:

• The location of the charging station: the price per kWh in Switzerland can show significant variations depending on the canton or the road you are traveling on
• Charging speed: with rare exceptions, the slower the charge, the lower the price
• Time spent at the charging station: some operators even charge for starting the charge
• Time of day: similar to the price of diesel in Switzerland, the price per kWh can vary depending on the time of day
• Payment method: some charging stations do not have a credit card payment terminal

Public charging stations: our comparison of offers in Switzerland

Operator	Charger Power	Average Price per kWh (CHF)	Annual Subscription Cost	Annual Cost (15,000 km)
Move	1 to 22 kW 25 kW and above	0.46 0.59 (+0.25/min after 60 min.)	58.80	1231.80 1851.30
Ionity	350 kW	0.56	71.88	1499.88
Evpass	Less than 22 kW Less than 80 kW More than 80 kW	0.59 0.79 0.89	42	1546.50 2056.50 2311.50
Energie 360	22 kW	0.50 (+6 CHF/hour after 6h)	0	1518.84
Gofast	150 to 300 kW	0.59 (+0.25/min after 60 min.)	0	1504.50

In summary:

• ✅ Move is the cheapest annually if you don't charge beyond 22 kW
• ✅ Ionity has the most expensive monthly subscription, but with ultra-fast charging stations
• ❌ Evpass is by far the most expensive

With a private car charger

If you don't travel long distances, you don't need a public charging station; you can use an electric car charger at home or a traditional socket. But be aware that charging will be slower. Here are your options:

Standard home socket

With a standard socket, at home or in any dwelling, just like charging any other everyday object. An economical option if you're looking to offset the price of your electric car, but slow, very slow (about 10 to 16 hours with a standard socket). It will be better to use this option at night. Furthermore, there is a risk of overheating.

Wall-mounted charger or wallbox

With a wall-mounted car charger or wallbox, which you can connect wherever you want. It works in the same way as a public charging station, with a power of 22 kW, except that you take it with you and connect it wherever you want, subject to a subscription with one of the operators available in Switzerland.

Wallbox (private charging stations): operator comparison

Operator	Annual Subscription Cost	Price per kWh (CHF)	Annual Cost (15,000 km)
AMP IT	540	Geneva: 0.30 Vaud: 0.34	1299
Romande Energie Vaud	1004	0.34	1938.79
SIG Geneva	1020	0.30	1779.90

Advantages and disadvantages of public charging stations and wallboxes

	Advantages	Disadvantages
Public Charging Stations	• Fast charging (approx. 30 minutes) • No additional cost • Everything covered by the owner	• Often out of order • Locations not always easy to find • Possible roaming charges
Private Charging Stations (wallbox)	• Charging immediately available • No need to travel • Equipment provided by the operator	• Installation can take time • Depends on the landowner's agreement

Why choose an electric car over an internal combustion engine?

Let's remember the basics: opting for an electric car instead of a classic fuel vehicle, whether gasoline or diesel, means moving towards a more virtuous mode of transport, both for the environment and for your savings.

While electricity prices vary by provider and canton, the cost of charging an electric car is almost always lower than driving a gasoline or diesel car, for equal usage.

Where is the cheapest gasoline in Switzerland?

Fuel prices can vary widely from one canton to another. Here are some examples based on data from Comparis.ch:

Canton	Average Price Unleaded 95	Average Price Unleaded 98	Average Price Diesel
Geneva	1.64	1.81	1.82
Zurich	1.58	1.74	1.71
Bern	1.54	1.69	1.68
Vaud	1.59	1.75	1.79
Grisons	1.28	1.43	1.28

In conclusion, the cheapest gasoline is always, on average, in the Grisons. The price of diesel in Switzerland can vary by 35% between the canton of Geneva (1.82 CHF) and the Grisons (1.28 CHF).

Electric car prices: Is the investment worth it in the long term?

Here are the generally observed prices for electric cars in Switzerland. We have selected a few brands and models ranked in ascending order of price:

Model	Observed Price in CHF
Renault Twingo E-Tech	22,900
Smart Fortwo	27,000
Fiat 500 e 95 hp	29,000
KIA e-soul electric	38,500
Tesla Model 3	40,000
Tesla Model Y	42,500
Skoda Enyaq iV	60,000
Audi Q4 45 e-tron quattro	68,000
Porsche Taycan 435 hp performance battery plus	103,000

Average comparison between an electric car and a gasoline car

With an average electricity price of 30 centimes/kWh

With an average electricity price of 60 centimes/kWh

With an average electricity price of 80 centimes/kWh

Clearly, even with the most expensive electricity and/or the cheapest gasoline, choosing electric remains more advantageous. If we extend this price difference over 10 years (an average of 150,000 km), these savings would be multiplied by 1,500:

Conclusion

Buying an electric car therefore leads to significant savings compared to gasoline vehicles in the long term. The cost of charging an electric car represents such a gain in money compared to combustion vehicles that, whatever the context, the user almost always comes out ahead.

Especially since today, several cantons offer subsidies to potential buyers to offset the vehicle's price.