The Swiss continue to buy the most polluting cars in all of Europe (source: Bundesamt für Energie via Luzernerzeitung)

39 comments

  2. Since driving is an option rather than a requirement it’s only natural that the ones who choose to drive choose their vehicle based on how much they can flex their ride or how much fun they have driving it over enviromental concerns.

  3. Sad thing is this:

    Even my now more than 10 year old 1.6 liter Diesel with 130PS (= more than enough for any tapical use in Switzerland) has a CO2 classification below 100g… so this is even below the Danish average.

    And now, more than 10 years later, the Swiss average is still 40% higher?

    It’s probably because it has become normal to buy a tank (SUV) instead of a car… (thanks to Bastien Girod, that brat, who withdrew the “Offroader initiative” in exchange for some promises that never became reality ;-))

  4. I expected better. Now do the stats that show how many of cars are bought, as well as the percentage of people who actually drive, and how much they drive.

  6. But see you know I totally need the SUV to be in Zurich because once in a while I want to go to the mountain and you can’t do that in a compact car. /s

  8. Yeah, it’s not possible to drive to the mountains on our perfectly smooth and snow ploughed roads in a compact FWD or even a compact 4WD.

    Honestly, what I need is a 2.5 tonne 400hp beast, (that actually has shitty off-road performance) to park at the Crans Montana skilift twice a year. I’m thinking maybe a G Wagon would do the trick. Or a Cayenne. But I’m worried it won’t have enough power to drive up the steep mountain pass. Also, my vehicle may never be older than one year, I’m going to have to replace it every year because my coworkers might think I’m responsible with my money.

  9. Have they considered GDP per capita as a confounding variable? I feel like the Swiss just buy more expensive cars which often have bigger engines.

  10. There’s one factor I can’t wrap my head around as to why people buy SUVs. Yes, they weigh a ton, cost a lot, are a danger to others and also eat fuel like no tomorrow.

    But the one thing that really gets me is that they look so incredibly stupid. Why spend so much money on cars that ugly..

  13. These graphic models do not show the complete picture though or are incredibly selfish.

    According to the Reuters article, a mid sized EV saloon generates 8.1 million grams ( No idea why they used value) before it reaches the first customer during the extraction and production process

    In comparison a similar gasoline vehicle generates 5.5 million grams.

    The break even point is dependent on how electricity is sourced in the country. In Norway where majority of electricity is sourced from hydro, 8400 miles is the breakeven point, in Poland with almost full Coal power the breakeven is 76,000 miles.

    In personal opinion, Swiss break even point would be similar to Norway with our 66% Hydro, 34% Nuclear

    So one has to consider how many kms they drive. My neighbour who bought a Tiguan that she uses like 5000 kms and leases for 3 years is probably at the same breakeven point. So like another user pointed out, buying a new car every time your lease runs out is incredibly dirty as well.

    But here is the selfish part: the CO2 generation occurs in distant lands for EVs, the lithium and other heavy metal mining operations occur in other lands. Yet diesel or gasoline is burned within the country.

    On a personal note, almost 30% of the Geneva airport for example is private jets. People I work with have some mega yachts and can afford to go to London just for a dinner. The change has to start at this level, not at the bottom where people are already struggling with rising living costs.

  15. If you are looking for an electric car, you will find loads of SUV’s but have a hard time finding a middle sized car which is suited as a family car (Combi). At the moment, it is just much easier to buy an SUV than a normal sized car, you have to actively search for one.

  16. My guess is it’s because of higher purchasing power and that people generally want larger „safer“ vehicles these days.

  18. Too many idiots with oversized SUV that nobody need. Event if you leave in the mountains a Subaru impreza would be better than a Cayenne

  24. With all due respect, the Luzernerzeitung journalist is DUMB and reveals his ignorance on the subject.

    First of all, the average is slightly above 120 g/KM whereas in Switzerland it’s below 140 g/KM. In practice that difference is almost negligible and even 140 is still super low. It’s not uncommon for a car just a few years ago to produce 300 or more.

    Secondly, and most important, you can’t use the word “polluting” to talk about CO2 because it’s odorless, colorless, and a non harmful substance that is the “gas of life”: without it the plants die, and therefore the animals and the human race will die too!! The pollution generated by internal combustion cars is CO (carbon monoxide), NOx, etc.

    Thirdly, thee whole Switzerland produces less than 1% of all CO2 in the world and each Swiss produces 1/3 of the CO2 a German produces!!!

    This article is typical from brainless activists who don’t have the minimum knowlodge on science to talk about this thing. It’s a shame that the OP posts it with a even more wrong title.

  26. Loooooots of “Oldtimers”, sorry I mean vintage car collectors. I bet that does push things up.

    And the mountainous region keeps many buying 4×4’s although we have some of the best alpine road construction and safety. And unless you drive in storms on some unpaved mountain trail, you won’t need it…

  27. Everyone stop discriminating against SUV drivers already!! It‘s not like they wanted to be born with small penises.

  28. I’m Swiss, I have a Polestar2 as daily and a Porsche for the sunny weekends. As a car amateur, we buy polluting sports car but don’t drive them much.
    The most polluted city is probably Geneva because you can’t breath there and the reason for it are French diesels… There are more than a 100000 French diesels car crossing the borders to Geneva everyday where the city is 500000 habitants.
    French drivers are not required to maintain their car regarding to emissions, there are no controls. The Swiss authorities force a control on your car every 2 to 5 years.
    This is the only city that I know of in CH that has to take temporary pollution measures when there is a rise of Carbon monoxide.
    Also, if you drive in Switzerland, probably 20 to 40% of cars you will cross are not Swiss residents.
    Somehow, these statistics must not take these into account.

  30. Anybody care to venture some reasons?
    I’ve read purchasing power and an affinity for sizeable, gas hungry cars… but that can’t be it…can it?
    How about electric cars? Any noticeable trends in adoption of those?

  32. of course. in my eyes we adapted the american standard of big and fast cars to our society like no other country did.

  33. The thing is, they are measuring only newly sold cars. Come to the Balkan countries to see old diesel garbages without DPF filters and catalytic converters… they are probably 10x more polluting than a new v8 engine.

  35. omg lets start a petition to stop people from buying the cars they would like to, lets glue each other on the streets and throw something at art in a museum!!

  37. Pretty much spot on! But to be fair, I was against SUVs myself until I got one.

    Now I love that things! I had usually “Kombi” cars like BMW320 or Audi A4. They were sporty but really hard to park. Now that I live in the city, my Volvo XC60 is really good to navigate there.

  39. I don’t think the consumption preferences of the average Swiss person is much different than the preferences of other Europeans. They just have more money.

    The change of mentality that we need is global.

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