Switzerland killed study proving upgrading to an electric car is good for the environment

In a concerning series of poor decisions, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) decided to bury a study it had ordered and paid $120,000 for, as it confirmed that upgrading an internal combustion engine (ICE) car to an electric vehicle is beneficial for the environment.

Back in 2022, SFOE commissioned Infras, a reputable research firm, to answer a straightforward question: When does it make sense, from a climate perspective, to replace a gasoline car with an electric one?

It’s not a bad question.

If you are considering buying a new car, it is better for the environment to opt for an electric one. Countless studies have confirmed this over the years. The degree to which it is more beneficial varies based on how much you drive and if it is charged with renewable energy, but it is significantly better.

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But due to the high environmental impact of manufacturing a new vehicle, some are debating whether it’s possibly better to drive your old beater until it completely falls apart rather than buying a new EV.

The Federal Office of Energy decided to answer that question by ordering a study worth 100,000 Swiss francs.

When the report landed in fall 2024, the verdict was clear: replacing over 90% of existing petrol/diesel cars with an equal-sized EV would save CO₂ immediately, except for vehicles that hardly ever leave the driveway.

However, the only reason we are aware of it now is that Republik, a Swiss online investigative journalism magazine, managed to obtain a copy through freedom of information requests.

Instead of publishing the study, the Federal Office of Energy decided to bury it.

Why? It’s unclear.

When asked now, they say that they have doubts about the results, but Republik followed with more freedom of information requests for emails discussing the study after Infras delivered it, and it tells a different story.

The publication reports on the communications from the SFOE staff:

The topic is “potentially sensitive,” the project manager wrote to various employees at the beginning of December 2024 after internal discussions, noting that the recommendations “could be misinterpreted” at a time when the federal administration “tends to be perceived rather negatively.” The study is “simply academic,” replied the head of communications at the Federal Office of Energy. In reality, no one will consider whether to replace their five-year-old combustion engine with an electric car “from a climate perspective.” One must be careful not to accuse the Federal Office of Energy of making “elitist recommendations” along the lines of “if there’s no bread, then eat cake.”

The conversation is particularly unusual, considering the study’s goal was to inform buyers of the potential environmental impact of upgrading to an electric car, and they now had the answer.

Now, they didn’t want them to have that information?

Switzerland had a goal of 50% of new cars sold in the country to be electric this year, but it is currently at about 30%.

Electrek’s Take

Great journalism work by Republik, but terrible work by the Swiss government and bureaucrats.

The science is clear: they are a net positive for the environment compared to vehicles that burn fossil fuel.

I have been reporting on and promoting electric vehicles for over a decade now. I didn’t think that in 2025 we would still be fighting against propaganda against that simple fact, but here we are.

There’s clearly still a lot of work to do.