EV charger in the Canton of BernRegistration included.

Connection and permit in the Canton of Bern

A wallbox is an electrical installation. Our qualified electricians register it with the grid operator before installation and then issue the safety certificate. The grid operator may set conditions, for example on connection power or load management. A building permit is usually not needed for a private EV charger at an existing parking space. It may be needed for new parking spaces or commercially used charging points. We clarify this beforehand with your commune.

Subsidies in the Canton of Bern

The Canton of Bern pays no contribution for a single wallbox at a single-family home. The cantonal energy subsidy programme supports basic infrastructure in existing multi-party buildings with CHF 250 per equipped parking space. The conditions are at least 10 equipped parking spaces, load management and an application before building starts. The contribution is at most 35% of the installation costs. The parking spaces must have been approved before 1 January 2023. We check for you whether communes and energy suppliers add further contributions.

Motor vehicle tax for electric cars

Purely battery-electric cars pay 60% less vehicle tax in the Canton of Bern. The reduction applies in the year of first registration and in the following three years. The basic tariff for electric cars is CHF 120 per 1,000 kilograms of weight, compared with CHF 240 for combustion-engine cars.

Apartment buildings and condominium ownership

Tenants need the landlord’s consent. In condominium ownership, the owners’ association (STWEG) decides. For several spaces, we recommend basic infrastructure with load management. It shares the available power between all charging points, and more wallboxes can be added later. This set-up is also a condition for the cantonal contribution. More on this under EV charging in underground car parks.

Grid operator and electricity price

BKW supplies 210 of the 295 communes in the Canton of Bern. Other grid operators include the Genossenschaft Elektra Jegenstorf and Industrielle Betriebe Interlaken. The cantonal median for households is 29.3 centimes per kilowatt-hour, which is above the Swiss median of 27.7 centimes. Every kilowatt-hour you charge with your own solar power replaces grid electricity. If you wish, we therefore plan the wallbox together with a solar system.