CO2 regulations for new vehicles

New vehicles must comply with an average target value for CO2 emissions per kilometre. These target values have been defined for new passenger cars, for new delivery vans and light commercial vehicles and, as of 2025, for new lorries and articulated vehicles. The same target values apply in Switzerland as in the EU, and Swiss vehicle importers are subject to this requirement.

CO₂ emission regulations for new vehicles apply in Switzerland just as they do in the EU. As of 2021, passenger cars registered for the first time in Switzerland may emit a maximum average of 118 grams of CO₂ per kilometre in accordance with the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). This is reduced to 93.6 g of CO₂/km from 2025 and will reduce 49.5 g of CO₂/km from 2030. As of 2021, delivery vans and light commercial vehicles registered for the first time may emit a maximum of 186 g of CO₂/km, reducing to 153.9 g of CO₂/km from 2025 and 90.6 g of CO₂/km from 2030.

A CO₂ target regulation for lorries and articulated vehicles (known collectively as heavy-duty vehicles or HDVs) will also come into force for the first time in 2025. Importers of new HDVs must reduce average emissions by 15 per cent compared to the reference values set out in the EU regulation (new vehicle fleet emissions 2019/2020) and by 30 per cent from 2030.

Each importer’s vehicle fleet has to meet an individual target based on these values. If the target is exceeded, the importer must pay a penalty.

More information about the CO2 regulations for vehicles can be found here:

Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE: CO2 emission regulations for new vehicles