Switzerland moves to ban electric vehicle use to help prevent blackouts

Switzerland has drafted emergency proposals that restrict power usage if demand increases this winter, which could ban non-essential electric vehicles from being used this winter.

According to The Telegraph, in advance of an expected energy crisis this winter which may result in blackouts, Swiss officials are considering drastic measures. Stores may be required to reduce hours, streaming services may be limited and buildings may only be heated to 20 degrees Celsius, or 68 degrees Fahrenheit.



The outlet added that other bans may include concerts, theater performances, sporting events and even shutting down all leisure businesses.

Switzerland relies on imported energy during the summer months and 60 percent of the country’s energy comes from hydropower, which slows in production during the winter.

Typically, during the slowdown of hydropower, the country relies on foreign imports but the war in Ukraine has contributed to shortages in imports across Europe, leaving Switzerland "vulnerable to energy shortages."

Government officials have created an emergency plan that is split into two tiers: crisis and emergency, and will activate each tier based on supply level. At the minimum, buildings will only be able to be heated to 20 degrees Celsius but if things get worse, electric vehicles will be limited to essential trips, and in the worst-case scenario, large events will be canceled.

The plan also includes escalators and holiday lights being shut off and a ban on cryptocurrency mining.

This past summer, the state of California, which is also heavily dependent on imported energy, called for residents to "set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, avoid using large appliances and charging electric vehicles, and turn off unnecessary lights" in response to a heat wave. California's ask came only days after Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state would be banning the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. 

While many US automakers have pursued the electric vehicle market with some pledging to go all-electric and phase out their internal combustion engine models, General Motors President Mark Reuss told Fox Business last month,  "We’re not going to abandon our internal combustion engine segments. We’ve got truck leadership with GMC and Chevrolet. We’ve got it across our midsize trucks, our full-size trucks, and then beyond."