EV charger in the Canton of St. GallenRegistration included.

Connection and permit in the Canton of St. Gallen

A wallbox is an electrical installation under the low-voltage installation ordinance (NIV). We register it with the grid operator before installation. The grid operator may set conditions on power or load management. After installation, we issue the safety certificate. Art. 136 of the Planning and Building Act of the Canton of St. Gallen sets out which projects need a permit. An EV charger at an existing parking space in a garage or carport usually needs no building permit. For new parking spaces, extensions or publicly accessible charging points, we clarify this with your commune.

Subsidies in the Canton of St. Gallen

The energy subsidy programme 2025 to 2030 supports charging infrastructure with load management in existing, non-public car parks. The connection including protective devices is subsidised with CHF 300 per parking space, at most CHF 25,000 and 35% of the investment costs. The condition is at least four operational EV chargers, for which there is CHF 800 per parking space. A photovoltaic system in the same project receives a flat CHF 5,000. The building permit for the car park must have been issued before 31 December 2020. A single wallbox is not eligible.

Motor vehicle tax for electric cars

Since 2026, the Canton of St. Gallen has calculated the charge from total weight and power, regardless of drive technology. The earlier exemption for electric vehicles no longer applies. Vehicles in energy efficiency category A receive a bonus of 50% and those in category B of 25%. The bonus applies in the year of first registration and in the following three years.

Apartment buildings and condominium ownership

Tenants need the landlord’s consent. In condominium ownership, the owners’ association (STWEG) decides. The cantonal programme requires load management that shares and prioritises the total charging power. This is exactly how we plan the charging infrastructure for all spaces. More on this under EV charging in underground car parks.

Grid operator and electricity price

In the Canton of St. Gallen, the St. Gallisch-Appenzellische Kraftwerke supply 15 communes, at 29.3 ct./kWh in household profile H4. The St.Galler Stadtwerke are at 30.6 ct./kWh and the Regionalwerk Toggenburg at 24.8 ct./kWh. The cantonal median is 29.8 ct./kWh and the Swiss median 27.7 ct./kWh (ElCom, the Federal Electricity Commission, 2026, excluding VAT). With a solar system, every kilowatt-hour you charge from your own roof replaces grid electricity.