In a dimly lit parking garage beneath the Basel train station, Erika finds herself searching for a clutch pedal that no longer exists. For decades, the rhythm of driving has been a mechanical dance of gears and engine roars. But as she settles into the driver’s seat of a Mobility electric vehicle (EV), the silence is jarring. There is no vibration, no idling hum—just a start button and a digital dashboard that feels more like a tablet than a cockpit.
Erika is part of a growing number of Swiss drivers who are technically capable but psychologically hesitant to make the leap to electric mobility. For Mobility, Switzerland’s leading car-sharing provider, this hesitation has evolved from a minor hurdle into a significant business risk. The company has discovered that while the technology for a green transition is ready, the drivers are not.
To bridge this gap, Mobility has launched “sensitization trainings”—hands-on, analog workshops designed to dismantle the “touch-fear” associated with EVs. By pairing hesitant users with volunteers who guide them through the basics of charging and regenerative braking, the company is attempting to humanize a transition that has, until now, been pushed primarily through digital manuals and video tutorials.
The High Cost of Forced Transition
The decision to implement these workshops follows a sobering realization: pushing the EV transition too fast can alienate the customer base. In several locations where Mobility transitioned its entire fleet to electric vehicles overnight, the company witnessed a revenue collapse of up to 20 percent. Users simply stopped booking, opting instead for the familiarity of internal combustion engines (ICE) available elsewhere.
Dominik Mohr, Project Lead for Electrification at Mobility, acknowledges that the company underestimated the psychological barrier. “We recognized a need,” Mohr explains, noting that digital instructions are insufficient for users who have never sat in an electric car. The “analog” approach—physical presence and real-time guidance—is now seen as essential to prevent further revenue attrition.
The struggle is not merely about knowing which button to press; it is about “range anxiety” and the fear of being stranded. During her training, Erika asks a question that echoes the concerns of thousands: can she actually charge the car in Engelberg, a mountain village far from the urban hubs of Basel or Zurich? The answer—yes—is a crucial piece of data, but hearing it from a human instructor provides a level of reassurance that a PDF guide cannot offer.
A Strategic Retreat on Climate Goals
The friction in user adoption has forced Mobility to recalibrate its corporate timeline. Originally, the company set an ambitious goal to offer an exclusively electric fleet by 2030. However, the reality of the market and the persistence of user hesitation have led to a strategic delay. The target has now been pushed back by five years, shifting the deadline to 2035.
This shift highlights a broader tension within the Swiss transport sector: the gap between infrastructure readiness and cultural readiness. While Switzerland continues to expand its charging network and EV prices gradually decline, the transition is hampered by a legacy of mechanical familiarity.
| Metric | Current Status (Approx.) | Target / Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Electric Fleet Share | 700 / 3,200 vehicles | 100% by 2035 |
| Revenue Impact (Full EV Zones) | Up to 20% decrease | Stabilization via training |
| Transition Deadline | Shifted from 2030 | New goal: 2035 |
The Psychology of the ‘Analog’ Bridge
The training sessions focus on three primary “friction points” that typically deter ICE drivers:
- The Charging Ritual: Learning to handle the heavy charging cables and understanding the visual cues—such as the green light—that confirm a successful connection.
- The Sensory Shift: Adjusting to the absence of engine noise and the unique feel of one-pedal driving, where the motor recovers energy during braking.
- The Interface: Overcoming the intimidation of digital dashboards that replace traditional analog gauges.
For some, the results are immediate. Erika, after a short loop through Basel’s Gundeliquartier, declared she would rent only electric cars moving forward. For others, the skepticism remains, though it is softened. One participant noted that while the dashboard remains “habit-forming” and strange, the overall operation of the car is far less complicated than she had imagined.
This approach suggests that the “green transition” in transport is as much a sociological challenge as it is a technical one. The success of car-sharing—a model built on trust and ease of access—depends on the user feeling in control. When that control is threatened by an unfamiliar interface, the user reverts to the known, even if the known is less sustainable.
As Mobility continues to roll out these workshops, the company serves as a bellwether for the broader automotive industry. The lesson is clear: providing the hardware is only half the battle; providing the confidence to use it is where the real work begins.
The next critical phase for Mobility will be the gradual integration of more EVs into mixed-fleet locations to avoid the revenue shocks seen in fully electric zones. The company is expected to monitor the conversion rate of users who undergo the sensitization training to determine if this “analog” model should be scaled across all Swiss operations.
Do you think hands-on training is the key to EV adoption, or is the issue purely about infrastructure? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
