A driver in the know

For almost 10 years now, the various heads of DETEC have been travelling by electric car. Some of the Federal Councillors were pioneers in this field. Since June 2023, Federal Councillor Albert Rösti has had a new BMW electric vehicle, as have his colleagues Viola Amherd and Guy Parmelin, who have also taken the plunge. Energeiaplus spoke to Fritz Hofmann, the Energy Minister's private chauffeur, to find out about his habits and tricks for always arriving at his destination. Hired in 2010 by former Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard, he began by driving a combustion-powered company car. Until 2014, when the Minister wanted to acquire her first electric car: "I was asked what I thought about changing my company car to a Tesla. Being interested in new things, I immediately said yes". The car was quickly adopted by the Head of Department and the driver. A charging station was installed at the DETEC General Secretariat and at the driver's home, which was unusual at the time. It provided the necessary autonomy to start the day without having to stop the vehicle in Berne.

A short adaptation period was necessary, as electric cars were not yet widespread in Switzerland, and recharging solutions were more complicated to find at the time. But that was nothing to stress Fritz Hofmann. "I was only worried once, with Federal Councillor Leuthard, that we wouldn't reach our destination: it was winter, it was very cold and we had to make a detour. As the batteries don't like the cold, the range was rapidly diminishing. We finally got to Berne, but it was a close call!" The car is mainly recharged at the driver's home or at the General Secretariat's charging point. It is rare for the driver to have to recharge outside the company. When traveling, the driver always plans to have at least 100km available in addition to the planned route. Among other things, he uses the Chargemap application to find a recharging solution close to his destination if necessary. Convincing planning! In 9 years behind the wheel of the department's electric cars, stops to recharge with a minister in the car can be counted on the fingers of one hand - and they've always been on the way back. "We've never been late because of the electric car." It has to be said that the various vehicles used (Tesla - VW ID.3 - BMW I7) have a range of 400 to 500 km, which leaves a decent margin for driving around Switzerland in a smooth, unsporty manner.

Fritz Hofmann and DETEC's electric BMW i7

A former tour bus driver, Fritz Hofmann has only recently begun to see the change in attitudes towards electric cars. At first, with DETEC's first Tesla, other drivers were pessimistic about performance. Over time, however, attitudes have changed, and two other departments are now equipped with the same car as Federal Councillor Rösti. Colleagues assure Fritz Hofmann that they too will never change cars again. Not everything is rosy with the new car, however: "Electronics and, above all, touch technology are taking up more and more space. Before, for the heating, all I had to do was turn a knob intuitively. Now I have to do it tactilely, sometimes in a menu. There's a loss of concentration that I regret". On the other hand, with the silence of the electric motors and the comfort offered, the Federal Councillors he carries or has carried enjoy a higher quality of travel than in the past.

Federal Councillor Albert Rösti is pleased with the change from a diesel to an electric vehicle: "I appreciate the comfort of travelling with the electric car; the calm and fluidity enable me to work efficiently on the move". The Minister is not worried about his vehicle's range. "When it comes to recharging, I have complete confidence in my driver; I know that he always organizes himself to arrive at the right destination." A good point, as Fritz Hofmann still intends to cover many kilometers at the wheel of the company car over the next few years.

Fabien Lüthi, Communications Swiss Federal Office of Energy
Images: DETEC General Secretariat