Switzerland evaluates the driving ban for electric vehicles
Switzerland could limit the use of electric vehicles (EVs) in the event of a power shortage this winter, thanks to a new four-step plan to avoid power outages and blackouts.
To ensure energy security this winter, Switzerland could become the first country to restrict driving and the use of electric vehicles, German newspaper Der Spiegel reports, citing several media outlets on Switzerland's four-step action plan to avoid blackouts. The driving of electric vehicles could be banned in Switzerland except in the case of "absolutely necessary travel" in the third phase of the energy conservation plan. The country also includes a stricter speed limit on highways in the recently proposed action plan, which has yet to be adopted.
Switzerland usually imports electricity from France and Germany to meet all of its energy demand, but this year, supply from its neighbors is limited.
In France, the availability of the nuclear fleet is much lower than usual, which has led the country to become a net importer of electricity after decades of net export. In January 2023, the French electricity grid risks being subjected to higher supply tensions than previously estimated, due to lower nuclear power generation. Xavier Piechaczyk, head of network operator RTE, said earlier this week that the country could be at risk of experiencing power outages this winter when the electricity supply may not be sufficient to meet demand.
In Germany the situation is similar, as utilities have to contend with the absence of Russian gas pipelines. Switzerland's electricity supply remains uncertain for the winter and problems with sufficient electricity capacity cannot be ruled out, the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission, Elcom, said as early as June. Due to the expected lower availability of French nuclear power and electricity exports from France to Switzerland, Swiss imports of electricity generated in France will likely be much lower this winter than in previous winter seasons, Elcom said.
Therefore, Switzerland may have to cover its electricity needs, equal to around 4 gigawatt hours (GWh), with imports from the other neighboring countries, Germany, Austria and Italy. However, these countries' electricity export availability will depend heavily on available fossil fuels, especially natural gas, according to Elcom. This will endanger Bern's energy security.
Thanks to our Telegram channel you can stay updated on the publication of new articles from Economic Scenarios.
The article Switzerland evaluates the driving ban for electric vehicles comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-svizzera-valuta-il-divieto-di-circolazione-per-i-veicoli-elettrici/ on Fri, 02 Dec 2022 15:52:43 +0000.