How many cars change owners each month in Switzerland?

In December 2025, 83,245 vehicles changed owners – approximately 2,685 vehicles per day. 82.6% were passenger cars (68,758 vehicles).

Which car brands are sold most frequently?

Volkswagen leads with 9,898 owner changes (11.9%), followed by Mercedes-Benz (6,733, 8.1%), BMW (6,558, 7.9%), and Audi (5,667, 6.8%). The top 10 brands account for over 60% of all owner changes.

Which cantons have the most owner changes?

Zurich leads with 11,663 owner changes (14.0%), followed by Bern (8,897, 10.7%), Vaud (8,578, 10.3%), and Aargau (7,550, 9.1%). The top 4 cantons account for 44% of all changes.

What is the share of electric cars in owner changes?

Electric cars make up 5.1% of all owner changes (4,246 vehicles). Tesla dominates with 586 vehicles, followed by VW (412) and BMW (389). The low share is explained by the young fleet age.

Owner Changes Switzerland 2025: 83,245 Vehicles Analyzed

Name: autoweg
Address: Switzerland, CH
Price range: Free

ByPatrick Steiner

Founder & CEO·12 min read·Updated: February 18, 2026

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

•83,245 vehicles changed owners in December 2025 – about 2,685 per day
•VW leads with 11.9% of all owner changes, followed by Mercedes (8.1%) and BMW (7.9%)
•EVs are sold after 2.5 years on average – petrol cars after 12.3 years
•53% of all imported used cars come from Germany

Who buys which cars – and how fast do they change hands? With 83,245 owner changes analyzed from December 2025, this exclusive data analysis reveals surprising patterns in the Swiss used car market – from VW's dominance to the rapid EV turnover to the cantons gaining or losing vehicles.

1. How Dynamic is the Swiss Used Car Market?

In December 2025, 83,245 vehicles changed owners – insights into the dynamics of the Swiss used car market.

FEDRO data paints a vivid picture: approximately 2,685 vehicles change owners daily. With 68,758 vehicles (82.6%), passenger cars dominate the market.

The analysis reveals interesting patterns: German brands lead the market, with VW, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW together accounting for over 27% of all owner changes.

Regional differences are particularly interesting: while Zurich and Bern expectedly show the highest absolute numbers, cantons like Aargau and Valais show interesting net gains from inter-cantonal moves.

2. Which Brands Change Owners Most Often?

Volkswagen is the clear leader in owner changes.

Download Data (JSON)

Top 10 Brands by Owner Changes

VW9,898 (11.9%)

Mercedes-Benz6,733 (8.1%)

BMW6,558 (7.9%)

Audi5,667 (6.8%)

Skoda3,994 (4.8%)

Toyota3,496 (4.2%)

Renault3,328 (4%)

Ford3,245 (3.9%)

Opel3,079 (3.7%)

Fiat2,830 (3.4%)

VW Dominanz

Mit fast 10'000 Halterwechseln liegt VW deutlich vorn – mehr als Mercedes und BMW zusammen haben weniger.

Premium stark

Mercedes, BMW und Audi machen zusammen 22.8% aller Halterwechsel aus – jedes 4. Auto ist Premium.

Top 10 = 60%

Die zehn grössten Marken decken über 60% des Marktes ab – der Rest verteilt sich auf 200+ Marken.

3. How Old Are Cars When They Change Owners?

The average vehicle age at owner change varies significantly by fuel type.

Average Age by Fuel Type

Fuel Type	Avg. Age	Count
Petrol	12.3 years	45,230
Diesel	11 years	18,456
Hybrid	3.1 years	5,826
Electric	2.5 years	4,246

Electric cars are resold almost 5x faster than petrol cars – a sign of the dynamic EV market.

4. In Which Cantons Do Most Cars Change Hands?

The canton distribution largely reflects the population structure – with some surprises.

Download Data (JSON)

Owner Changes by Canton

Zürich11,663 (14%)

Bern8,897 (10.7%)

Waadt8,578 (10.3%)

Aargau7,550 (9.1%)

St. Gallen4,987 (6%)

Genf4,654 (5.6%)

Luzern4,123 (5%)

Tessin3,876 (4.7%)

Wallis3,542 (4.3%)

Freiburg3,218 (3.9%)

Zurich leads as expected with over 11,000 owner changes, but Aargau also shows remarkable dynamics. The Western Swiss cantons Vaud and Geneva together exceed Bern – a sign of the strong commuter and company vehicle culture in French-speaking Switzerland.

5. How Often Do Electric Cars Change Owners?

With only 5.1% share, EVs are still underrepresented in the used car market.

EV Owner Changes

4,246

Market Share

5.1%

Avg. Age at Sale

2.5 years

Download Data (JSON)

Top EV Brands by Owner Changes

Tesla586

VW412

BMW389

Mercedes-Benz356

Audi312

Hyundai287

Polestar198

Renault176

Tesla dominates the used EV market with 586 owner changes, followed by VW (412) and BMW (389).

6. Where Do Imported Used Cars Come From?

5,541 vehicles were imported as used cars in December – Germany clearly dominates.

Download Data (JSON)

Imports by Country of Origin

Germany2,966 (53.5%)

Italy388 (7%)

France321 (5.8%)

Austria272 (4.9%)

Netherlands198 (3.6%)

Other1,396 (25.2%)

Over half of all imported used cars come from Germany (53.5%).

The German used car market remains attractive for Swiss buyers: lower prices, large selection, and short transport distances make imports from the neighboring country particularly interesting. Notably: almost a quarter of imports come from other countries – from Belgium to Japan.

7. Which Cantons Gain, Which Lose Vehicles?

Inter-cantonal moves show interesting migration patterns among vehicle owners.

Most Popular Route:ZH → AG(1,377 vehicles)

Net Winners

AG+736

VS+585

FR+457

TG+312

SZ+287

Net Losers

ZH-1,245

GE-423

BS-312

VD-287

NE-198

The pattern is clear: people are moving from expensive urban cantons to more affordable commuter regions. Aargau benefits particularly from the Zurich exodus, while Fribourg, Valais, and Thurgau also record gains. Conversely, Zurich, Geneva, and Basel-Stadt lose the most vehicle owners.

Parked cars symbolizing vehicle movements between cantons

Conclusion: A Dynamic Market in Transition

The Swiss used car market is in excellent shape in 2025: with over 83,000 owner changes in December alone, it proves its ongoing dynamism. The data reveals clear trends and surprising developments.

Particularly noteworthy is the dominance of German brands: VW, Mercedes, BMW, and Audi together account for almost 35% of all owner changes. At the same time, the rapid turnover of EVs (on average after just 2.5 years) shows a fundamental shift in consumer behavior – EVs are no longer bought for decades, but regularly replaced with newer models offering better range.

The regional differences reflect societal megatrends: the exodus from expensive urban cantons to more affordable agglomerations leads to a clear redistribution of the vehicle fleet. For sellers, this means: demand varies regionally – those selling their car should understand local market conditions.

Selling your car too?

2,685 cars change hands daily. Yours next? 600+ dealers make offers.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

9. Where Does the Data Come From?

Data Source

Source: Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) – AHOI Data
Data Date: December 2025
Scope: 284,594 vehicle registrations, of which 83,245 owner changes
Geography: All 26 Swiss cantons

Definitions

Owner Change: Transfer of vehicle registration from one owner to another.
Used Import: Vehicle previously registered abroad, registered for the first time in Switzerland.
Vehicle Age: Difference between first registration date and owner change date in years.

Notes

Data is based on official FEDRO registrations.

Visit FEDRO Open Data Portal

Sources & Links

All data comes from official Swiss government sources.

FEDRO Open Data Portal

Official vehicle registration data of Switzerland

Open Data Downloads

Download the raw data from this analysis – freely usable under Open Data license.

Summary

Key figures on owner changes.

Download Data (JSON)

Brand Statistics

Top brands by owner changes.

Download Data (JSON)

Canton Data

Owner changes by canton.

Download Data (JSON)

Data: FEDRO Open Data (AHOI data), data as of: December 2025. License: free use with source attribution and link to autoweg.ch.

Key Takeaways

This analysis is based on 83,245 owner changes in December 2025 – here are the key findings:

Top Findings

1.VW dominates with 11.9% of all owner changes – almost double second-place Mercedes-Benz
2.EVs change hands 5x faster (2.5 years) than petrol cars (12.3 years)
3.Germany supplies 53% of all imported used cars – far ahead of Italy and France

The Numbers in Detail

83'245 vehicles changed owners
2'685 owner changes per day on average
11.9% market share for VW – clear leader
5.1% of all owner changes are electric vehicles

Data source: FEDRO – AHOI data (owner changes), data as of: December 2025, analysis: autoweg.ch

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About the Author

Patrick Steiner

Patrick Steiner is the founder of autoweg and an expert in the Swiss automotive market. His expertise covers vehicle valuation, digital marketplaces, and the dynamics of the Swiss used car market.

Learn more about Patrick

Key Takeaways

•83,245 vehicles changed owners in December 2025 – about 2,685 per day
•VW leads with 11.9% of all owner changes, followed by Mercedes (8.1%) and BMW (7.9%)
•EVs are sold after 2.5 years on average – petrol cars after 12.3 years
•53% of all imported used cars come from Germany

1. How Dynamic is the Swiss Used Car Market?

In December 2025, 83,245 vehicles changed owners – insights into the dynamics of the Swiss used car market.

FEDRO data paints a vivid picture: approximately 2,685 vehicles change owners daily. With 68,758 vehicles (82.6%), passenger cars dominate the market.

The analysis reveals interesting patterns: German brands lead the market, with VW, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW together accounting for over 27% of all owner changes.