Fuel shortage: Switzerland prepares 80 km/h speed limit on motorways

Fuel is getting scarce in Switzerland

Swiss authorities are already planning emergency steps for road traffic. The Federal Office for National Economic Supply (BWL) confirmed internal talks about lowering the motorway speed limit from 120 to 80 km/h. At the same time, the government has released diesel and jet fuel (called Flugpetrol in Switzerland) from required emergency stocks. A BWL spokesman said the speed cut is one of several measures being prepared for a severe shortage. It could also save fuel.

Key numbers

• Diesel: up to 45,000 cubic metres released from 23 October to 22 November, about 4% of the stock. This is roughly five days of national use.
• Jet fuel: up to 30,000 cubic metres released from 15 October to 1 November, about 6.5% of the stock.
• Zurich Airport uses about 4,000 cubic metres a day. The jet fuel release covers roughly seven and a half days.
• Jet fuel emergency stocks last about 76 days, not the required 90 days.
• Domestic diesel sales were about 2.6 million tonnes in 2025.

Why the shortage happened

Several problems hit at once. Record-low water levels on the Rhine mean almost no oil currently reaches Switzerland by that river. A refinery in Cressier stopped unexpectedly for two weeks in September; it now runs normally again. Other problems include refinery maintenance in Europe, strong demand, and overloaded rail freight. Heavy rain in southern France slowed the transfer of crude oil and finished products to pipelines. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is limited, and Houthi attacks on ships and Saudi oil facilities add pressure on supply chains.

Why it matters

The BWL says energy supply is generally secure, but the oil situation is tight and fragile, and diesel is very tight. Released stock is meant to fill missing imports, not replace them. It will not make fuel cheaper, because emergency stock is still sold at market prices. The BWL has no say over prices. It has not set clear thresholds for when a tight situation becomes a severe shortage, and the state will only step in when industry cannot fix a problem itself. The effect of a lower speed limit on fuel use is unclear.

What to watch

• Whether the government actually lowers the motorway speed limit to 80 km/h.
• Whether the Rhine water levels recover, so oil can move by river again.
• Whether jet fuel stocks are rebuilt to the required 90 days.
• Whether flight schedules change or ticket prices rise if shortages last longer.