What electric cars pay in motor vehicle tax in Appenzell Innerrhoden, how the tax is calculated and what is changing.
In Appenzell Innerrhoden, electric cars pay exactly the same as petrol or diesel cars: the road traffic tax is based solely on gross vehicle weight and there is no reduction for electric vehicles. Because EVs are usually heavier due to the battery, they often pay slightly more than a comparable combustion car.
Gross vehicle weight (registration document, field 33). Passenger cars: CHF 200 for the first 1,000 kg, then CHF 3 for every further 10 kg. Weight is rounded up to the next 10 kg and the tax to the next franc. Legal range: minimum CHF 25, maximum CHF 5,000 per year (Art. 4 EG SVG, Arts. 13 and 15 VEG SVG).
Electric cars are taxed on the same weight tariff as all other passenger cars. The cantonal Road Traffic Introductory Act (Art. 5) does allow the Grand Council to reduce the tax for particularly environmentally friendly vehicles by ordinance, but the ordinance in force (VEG SVG, as at 20 June 2022) contains no such reduction. Since EVs usually have a higher gross weight because of the battery, their tax is often higher than for a comparable combustion car.
Plug-in hybrids are likewise taxed solely on gross weight, with no reduction.
Personenwagen mit 2'200 kg Gesamtgewicht (Antriebsart für die Berechnung ohne Bedeutung): CHF 560 per year (source)
It is not expressly confirmed that no reduction applies to electric cars: the statement rests on the fact that the ordinance provides none; there is no confirmation from the Road Traffic Office.
The Auto-Check works out how much you save overall with an electric car, using your own assumptions.
As of: October 2026. All information without guarantee. The tax bill and the cantonal road traffic office are authoritative.
