What electric cars pay in motor vehicle tax in Schaffhausen, how the tax is calculated and what is changing.
Schaffhausen taxes combustion cars on engine capacity and electric cars on motor power: CHF 120 up to 30 kW plus CHF 3 for each additional 5 kW or part thereof. Powerful EVs therefore often pay more than small combustion cars; a Tesla Model 3 Long Range, for example, pays CHF 324. A reform that would have lowered EV tax was rejected by voters on 9 February 2025.
Motor vehicles with piston engines (excluding heavy lorries): CHF 120 up to 800 cc plus CHF 12 per additional 100 cc or part thereof (Road Traffic Tax Act, SHR 645.100, Art. 3). Vehicles with electric motors: based on power under the ordinance (SHR 645.101, section 10).
Under section 10 of the Road Traffic Tax Ordinance (SHR 645.101), the annual tax for vehicles with electric motors is CHF 120 up to 30 kW plus CHF 3 for each additional 5 kW or part thereof. There is no exemption and no discount. EV taxation is only set out in the ordinance, which the cantonal government regards as unequal treatment and wanted to put into law. According to the official voting booklet (data as of 30 Sep 2024), a Renault Zoe (100 kW) pays CHF 162, a Tesla Model 3 Long Range (366 kW) CHF 324 and a VW Golf Variant (1,984 cc) CHF 264.
Plug-in hybrids have a piston engine and are taxed on engine capacity; according to the voting booklet, e.g. Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 e (1,332 cc) CHF 192, KIA Niro 1.6 PHEV (1,580 cc) CHF 216.
The amendment to the Road Traffic Tax Act passed by the cantonal parliament (kerb weight, engine capacity and power, minimum tax CHF 100; EVs counted as 0 cc and paying only CHF 100 while their share stays below 30%) was rejected in the popular vote of 9 February 2025 with 60.4% voting no. The cantonal government intends to examine a new proposal at a later date; no concrete proposal exists yet.
Tesla Model 3 Long Range, 1'919 kg, 366 kW (geltende Regelung, Datenbasis Fahrzeugbestand 30.9.2024): CHF 324 per year (source)
Still open: whether a new proposal has been in preparation since the vote of February 2025. The vote result (60.4% no) is documented only by media reports (SRF, swissinfo).
The Auto-Check works out how much you save overall with an electric car, using your own assumptions.
As of: February 2025. All information without guarantee. The tax bill and the cantonal road traffic office are authoritative.
