Switzerland relies on France and Germany for its electricity supply.
The country unveiled a plan to lessen the impact of potential outages this winter.
The third out of four steps says to limit the movements of electric vehicles.
With the recent adoption of a 2035 ban on gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles in Europe, many have said that the electrical grid is not ready for an influx of EVs, and they might be right.
Indeed, Switzerland has just unveiled its new plan to help curb electricity shortages and one of the measures it puts forward is to limit the movements of electric vehicles during periods of instability on the grid.
This is important since Switzerland is not self-sufficient in terms of electricity production, which means it has to rely on France and Germany in order to provide enough power for every home.
With France having some trouble generating enough power for its own population, its supply to the Swiss grid is in jeopardy, especially during cold snaps.
In order to secure enough energy for the basic necessities in every region of the country, the government of Switzerland will ask homeowners to reduce their power consumption during shortages this winter.
The first two stages of the plan call for usual power-saving methods such as turning the lights off when they are not in use and turning down the heat at night.
Where this plan might surprise some is when a power shortage reaches the third stage. Indeed, the authorities will start limiting the movements of electric vehicles in order to reduce their need to be charged, thus lessening the load on the grid.
According to the official plan EV drivers will be allowed to use their vehicle only in some circumstances, including going to work, going to the shops, and going to the hospital.
This covers most day-to-day circumstances, but it means that drivers won’t be able to use an electric vehicle to visit their friends and family during certain periods, for example.
Since vehicles fitted with an internal combustion engine will not be affected by these restrictions, buyers who considered making the switch to an EV for their next vehicle might backtrack and decide to buy a gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle instead.
