Dispelling the myths about e-mobility

Around a third of carbon dioxide emissions in Switzerland come from road traffic, which is why e-mobility is crucial to making our transportation more sustainable.

A representative survey on mobility in Switzerland carried out every year by Ernst Basler & Partner shows that the popularity of fully electric vehicles is rising steadily. Their share of the new car market doubled year-on-year in 2019 and then again in 2020 to over 8%. However, many drivers are still skeptical about the pros and cons of e-mobility, so we think it's about time to dispel four myths.

Myth #1: Electric cars aren't more environmentally friendly.

If you look at a vehicle's entire life cycle, the most important aspect with electric power is battery production. The longer the vehicle remains on the road, the better its ecological footprint compared with one that has an internal combustion engine. The electricity mix is also crucial. As a rule, an electric vehicle is more environmentally friendly than a gasoline- or diesel powered one – as long as it exclusively uses electricity from renewable sources.

Myth #2: Electric cars have poor range and long charging times.

A fully electric car can be driven for 100-500 km before it needs charging. That's enough for around 80% of Swiss drivers' day-to-day needs, and there are plenty of places to charge or top up the battery these days. What's more, new technologies have reduced charging times. One great way to find charging stations is the swisscharge.ch. app, which offers easy access to more than 6,200 in Switzerland and over 130,000 throughout Europe. Thanks to our cooperation with swisscharge.ch, AXA customers can charge at a standard, low price.

Myth #3: Electric cars are too expensive.

Most electric cars cost more to buy than a comparable gasoline- or diesel-engined model, but the cost of driving 100 km can be barely more than CHF 3 in the best-case scenario, depending on the current price of electricity. Electric cars are also exempt from the automobile tax of 4% on the purchase price and free you from the taxes and price hikes that come with conventional fuels.

Myth #4: Electric cars aren't safe enough.

An electric car has all the safety features you expect, so it's just as safe as any other in an accident. Road safety studies also show that accidents tend to be caused by poor driving skills, excessive speed or a lack of concentration, regardless of how a vehicle is powered. AXA looked into this in one of its crash tests.

Points to consider before buying an electric car:

• Where can you charge it? Check whether there are charging stations near your home and workplace.
• Think about the electricity mix. An electric car is only more environmentally friendly to drive than a gasoline or diesel model if 100% of the electricity it uses comes from renewable sources (solar, wind or hydroelectric power).
• How long are your journeys? Electric vehicles don't have the same range as those that use other forms of power.
• If you don't travel long distances on a regular basis, maybe you don't need a car at all. You don't have to be particularly sporty to go 10 km on an electric bike or scooter. 

Working together for future-proof mobility

Around a third of carbon dioxide emissions in Switzerland come from road traffic. That's why AXA and swisscharge.ch have joined forces to promote the advancement of e-mobility:

Charge at a standard price

AXA customers pay a standard price to charge their electric vehicles at all swisscharge.ch charging stations. The only difference in price is between alternating-current and direct-current charging stations.

Dense network of charging stations

Reserve, unlock, charge, and pay – swisscharge.ch provides access to more than 6,200 charging stations in Switzerland and over 130,000 throughout Europe. 

Charging stations for tenants

Since 2017, 10% of parking spaces in all newbuilds owned by AXA Switzerland have been equipped with charging stations.