Compared to the ski towns in the United States, Zermatt stands out for many reasons. One of these major contrasts is the lack of vehicles in Zermatt, with most people relying on public transit.
For many, Zermatt isn’t even accessible by car. This is partially due to not having emissions create smog over the valley, which has become an issue for other skiing destinations.
The only road into town is not very accessible, as you need to get permission from the cantonal police and pay a sizeable fee. Even if you drive in though, you can only reach the town center by using trains. Due to this, the only real vehicles in Zermatt are private delivery vans and taxis, leading to a total of around 520 vehicles. These private vehicles have been required to be electric for decades and draw similarities to the milk floats, which were vehicles that frequented Great Britain in the 20th century.
Last week, YouTuber Tom Scott broke down the unique vehicle rules that Zermatt has. Tom also speaks to Bruno Imboden, who runs Stimbo Elektrofahrzeuge. This company builds most of the vehicles that roam Zermatt’s streets. I wonder if something like this could be implemented in a mountain town in North America, like Little Cottonwood Canyon, or if it’s too late to make such a drastic change.
Image/Video Credits: The 414 Company (Featured Image), Gabriel Garcia Marengo (Header Image), Tom Scott
