EV charging in Switzerland — networks, apps, alpine passes
Switzerland's public-charging network punches well above its weight. The Confederation's ich-tanke-strom national platform (operated by Swiss Energy and Swiss Roads) provides a single source of truth for every public charging point in the country, and the OICP feed it publishes is what Plugsquare ingests daily.
The operator mix is concentrated. A handful of large players — Move (the Migrol-backed national CPO), Gofast (HPC specialist), Tesla Supercharger, Ionity, and Fastned — cover most of the country's high-speed charging. Urban AC is mostly run by the local utilities (Energie Wasser Bern, ewz Zürich, IWB Basel, SIG Geneva).
Main charging networks in Switzerland
Move (operated by Migrol, a Migros subsidiary) is the largest single CPO in Switzerland, with HPC dispensers along the A1/A2/A6 motorway network and a dense urban AC footprint. Gofast is the country's pure-HPC specialist, with 150–350 kW dispensers at most major motorway service areas and an increasing number of urban hubs.
Ionity covers the cross-Alpine routes — Gotthard, San Bernardino, Simplon — with 350 kW HPC at the major service areas. Fastned has a small but growing Swiss footprint. Tesla Supercharger has a meaningful presence at most spine-route intersections, with most sites open to non-Tesla CCS cars. Lidl Schweiz runs free-while-shopping destination DC at supermarket car parks.
Alpine passes and tunnel routes
The Gotthard route (A2 via the road tunnel) has HPC stops on both sides of the Alps — Erstfeld in the north and Airolo in the south. The A13 San Bernardino route is similarly served. The Simplon Pass and the Furka-Oberalp routes are seasonally limited; treat them as summer-only EV destinations unless you've confirmed open chargers in advance.
Winter alpine EV charging works similarly to Austria: the main motorway network is reliable, smaller pass roads are not. The Swiss Touring Club (TCS) lists open winter passes and any associated EV charger status, which is a useful pre-trip check.
Apps and the cost of charging
Switzerland is one of Europe's more expensive markets for ad-hoc public DC, typically CHF 0.60–0.85/kWh at HPC sites without a subscription. Move, Gofast, Ionity and Tesla all sell direct tariffs through their own apps that bring the price down meaningfully for frequent users; the Ionity Passport monthly subscription pays back quickly for cross-border drivers.
Roaming via international EMSPs (Plugsurfing, Chargemap, Maingau Auto-Strom) works across Switzerland at moderate markup. Tesla owners use the Tesla app for Supercharger; the per-kWh price is consistently competitive with the other HPC operators on the same routes.
What's on the Plugsquare map for Switzerland
Plugsquare ingests the ich-tanke-strom OICP feed daily. Operators visible include Move, Gofast, Ionity, Tesla, Fastned, ChargePoint, Lidl Schweiz, and a long tail of cantonal and city utilities. The Swiss feed is unusually clean — coverage of even small village chargers is near-complete.
Frequently asked questions
Which charging app should I use in Switzerland?
Move is the practical primary for most Swiss drivers because the network is large and the app handles roaming to most other Swiss operators. Gofast's own app is the right choice if you mostly use HPC on the motorway network. The Ionity Passport monthly subscription is worth doing the maths on if you're a frequent cross-Alpine driver. Tesla owners use the Tesla app.
Is HPC available at the Gotthard?
Yes — HPC sites are available on both sides of the Gotthard road tunnel (Erstfeld north, Airolo south), typically run by Move, Gofast or Ionity. The San Bernardino route via the A13 has similar provision. Cross-Alpine EV travel via the main motorway tunnels is fully practical year-round; smaller pass roads are seasonally limited.
Is public DC charging in Switzerland expensive?
Ad-hoc DC pricing in Switzerland sits at the higher end of European norms — typically CHF 0.60–0.85/kWh at peak. Direct tariffs via the operator's own app are meaningfully cheaper than roaming partner prices; the Ionity Passport monthly subscription pays back quickly for users above a moderate usage threshold.
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