Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
German strike to disrupt travel to and from Switzerland; what you should know about electric cars; and other news in our roundup on Friday.
German strike to disrupt travel to and from Switzerland
If you are planning to travel to Germany in the next couple of days — don’t.
As German unions called for a day-long strike in the transport sector on Monday, no long-distance trains will operate.
As far as air travel, “the airports in Frankfurt will be closed on Monday (March 27) and in Munich on Sunday and Monday (March 26-27),” SWISS airline said.
“Unfortunately, cancellations and delays in the SWISS and Lufthansa Group flight schedules to and from these airports will be unavoidable."
You can cancel or change for free any travel plans you had already made for those dates.
Switzerland to plunge into darkness on Saturday evening
Fortunately, this event has nothing to do with the energy crisis, but rather with raising environmental awareness.
Twenty localities in Switzerland will join the “Earth Hour,” which consists of turning off all the lights for one hour at 8:30 pm "to give a clear signal in favour of the protection of our Earth," according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The Jet d'eau in Geneva the wizards' tower in Sion, the old town in Lenzburg, as well as various parts of Baden, Burgdorf, Ennetbaden, Killwangen, Mellingen, Neuenhof, Wettingen, St-Gallen, Muttenz, Delémont, Ecublens, Fribourg, Montreux, Sierre, Vevey, Yverdon-les-Bains, Chiasso, and Mendrisio, will be dimmed.
These Swiss cities will join other locations around the world, including Taj Mahal in India and the Empire State Building in New York in this global action.
Electric vehicles are cheaper in the long run
For the duration of the car’s life (which differs according to model and engine), driving an electric vehicle can be up to 20,000 francs cheaper than a gasoline-fuelled one.
This is the finding of the Federal Office for the Environment (SFOE), which has calculated the expenses associated with the purchase and use of three categories of cars — petrol, hybrid and electric. More than 50 models were analysed; the calculation is based on the average 2022 prices of new vehicles traveling 15,000 km per year for a period of eight years.
In general, electric models cost less at the end of this period, including the resale price, the SFOE found. Combustion engines and hybrids cost roughly the same. The largest cost difference observed in the study is in the “upper class” category with a difference of more than 20,000 francs.
On the other hand, if mileage were reduced from 15,000 to 10,000 km per year, and the duration of ownership from eight to six years, the total cost for electric cars is 4 percent higher.
Don’t forget to put forward the clocks
Daylight saving time will begin at 02:00 am on Sunday March 26th, when Swiss clocks will go forward an hour.
Sunrise and sunset will be about one hour later and there will be more light in the evening.
READ MORE: Why Switzerland hasn’t called time on daylight savings
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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German strike to disrupt travel to and from Switzerland
If you are planning to travel to Germany in the next couple of days — don’t.
As German unions called for a day-long strike in the transport sector on Monday, no long-distance trains will operate.
As far as air travel, “the airports in Frankfurt will be closed on Monday (March 27) and in Munich on Sunday and Monday (March 26-27),” SWISS airline said.
“Unfortunately, cancellations and delays in the SWISS and Lufthansa Group flight schedules to and from these airports will be unavoidable."
You can cancel or change for free any travel plans you had already made for those dates.
Switzerland to plunge into darkness on Saturday evening
Fortunately, this event has nothing to do with the energy crisis, but rather with raising environmental awareness.
Twenty localities in Switzerland will join the “Earth Hour,” which consists of turning off all the lights for one hour at 8:30 pm "to give a clear signal in favour of the protection of our Earth," according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The Jet d'eau in Geneva the wizards' tower in Sion, the old town in Lenzburg, as well as various parts of Baden, Burgdorf, Ennetbaden, Killwangen, Mellingen, Neuenhof, Wettingen, St-Gallen, Muttenz, Delémont, Ecublens, Fribourg, Montreux, Sierre, Vevey, Yverdon-les-Bains, Chiasso, and Mendrisio, will be dimmed.
These Swiss cities will join other locations around the world, including Taj Mahal in India and the Empire State Building in New York in this global action.
Electric vehicles are cheaper in the long run
For the duration of the car’s life (which differs according to model and engine), driving an electric vehicle can be up to 20,000 francs cheaper than a gasoline-fuelled one.
This is the finding of the Federal Office for the Environment (SFOE), which has calculated the expenses associated with the purchase and use of three categories of cars — petrol, hybrid and electric. More than 50 models were analysed; the calculation is based on the average 2022 prices of new vehicles traveling 15,000 km per year for a period of eight years.
In general, electric models cost less at the end of this period, including the resale price, the SFOE found. Combustion engines and hybrids cost roughly the same. The largest cost difference observed in the study is in the “upper class” category with a difference of more than 20,000 francs.
On the other hand, if mileage were reduced from 15,000 to 10,000 km per year, and the duration of ownership from eight to six years, the total cost for electric cars is 4 percent higher.
Don’t forget to put forward the clocks
Daylight saving time will begin at 02:00 am on Sunday March 26th, when Swiss clocks will go forward an hour.
Sunrise and sunset will be about one hour later and there will be more light in the evening.
READ MORE: Why Switzerland hasn’t called time on daylight savings
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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