Europe Dealer Network: Switzerland

[Parallaxe]

For Switzerland the Hedin Group was selected as dealer, after sales, and service partner for the Grenadier. The Hedin Group will cover 11 countries in total. Unfortunately, I don't know which ones, apart from Switzerland. In Switzerland they are well known as BMW dealer and service partner. 

I have been reaching out to them with a few initial questions around the Grenadier, and they responded instantly and very friendly. Since their service was always top notch during my BMW days, I'm very much looking forward to them covering Switzerland as the dealer and service partner for Grenadier.

Their service in Switzerland will be centralized in Dielsdorf near Zurich (at least for the beginning), but they intend to offer a "bring and return" service from/to any of their Hedin branch offices in Switzerland. Which is most convenient for us, since the next Hedin branch office is just around the corner (and they have a pretty good coverage in the rest of Switzerland, too).

 

[Deepblue]

Hi Parallaxe,
Hedin will be Ineos distribution partner in the following countries:
Belgien, Niederlande, Luxemburg, Schweden, Dänemark, Norwegen, Finnland, Estland, Lettland, Litauen und der Schweiz

See Hedin‘s press release (sorry to the international audience, it‘s in German):
https://www.mynewsdesk.com/ch/hedinautomotiveschweiz/pressreleases/hedin-mobility-group-wird-vertriebs-und-handelspartner-fur-den-neuen-ineos-automotive-grenadier-3171302

 

[Parallaxe]

Oh, that's cool. Many thanks for the information! I wasn't aware.

 

[nickelnoff]

Wish I had something more posting to say about Heldin Switzerland.

So far auch a lousy experience. Never reply to emails, never return calls. Just no partnership and customer service at all.

Seriously thinking of just ditching the whole idea of purchasing if it means having to deal with them on an ongoing basis.

 

[rovie]

Wish I had something more posting to say about Heldin Switzerland.

So far auch a lousy experience. Never reply to emails, never return calls. Just no partnership and customer service at all.

Seriously thinking of just ditching the whole idea of purchasing if it means having to deal with them on an ongoing basis.

Hi David,
an alternative would be to buy the Grenadier in Germany. A dealer can make a registration for one day and you then buy a "used vehicle" which you are allowed to import. I think you can find dealers here who will take care of you.

 

[DCPU]

Too busy expanding in the UK market...

 

[nickelnoff]

Hi David,
an alternative would be to buy the Grenadier in Germany. A dealer can make a registration for one day and you then buy a "used vehicle" which you are allowed to import. I think you can find dealers here who will take care of you.

Of course that’s possible @rovie but not sure how the servicing would work out in cases like this. Wouldn’t fancy having to drive back to Germany and drop the car of when services are due.

 

[bemax]

Of course that’s possible @rovie but not sure how the servicing would work out in cases like this. Wouldn’t fancy having to drive back to Germany and drop the car of when services are due.

Why should a service point in Switzerland refuse a car bought in Germany? I hope they would help me out when I am there as well.

 

[DCPU]

80-90% of the service type stuff should be well within the scope of your local village/town mechanic.

Indeed, they may be more familiar with the nature of underpinnings than the main agent.

 

[emax]

7% VAT in CH, 19% in Germany.

That makes a difference for a private buyer.

 

[DCPU]

I wonder how all this works when you are buying from Ineos? I presume there's a Swiss website in Francs and Swiss VAT, then you are only specifying a delivery location.

I wonder if I still had a Euro account, if I could go onto any Euro site, purchase there and have delivery in UK. Some of the accessories on the Oz site are better value for money than the UK site...

I don't know whether German companies can apply for Swiss registration documents /licence plates, etc?

 

[bemax]

I wonder how all this works when you are buying from Ineos? I presume there's a Swiss website in Francs and Swiss VAT, then you are only specifying a delivery location.

I wonder if I still had a Euro account, if I could go onto any Euro site, purchase there and have delivery in UK. Some of the accessories on the Oz site are better value for money than the UK site...

I don't know whether German companies can apply for Swiss registration documents /licence plates, etc?

No they can’t for cars that run in Germany.

 

[DCPU]

It would not be running/registered in Germany though. First registration would be in Switzerland.

 

[bemax]

It would not be running/registered in Germany though. First registration would be in Switzerland.

You ment whether the Ineos dealer from Germany can apply for a Swiss registration in behalf of his customer? I understood that you mean a German company as an IG buyer itself.

 

[DCPU]

Yes to the former; or indeed the customer himself applies for the Swiss registration, gets the plates, drives to Germany, puts them on and drives back to Switzerland.

Import/export issues may rule it out; but as on other threads like the European Delivery or indeed the Long Way Home ~ there's obviously a way to collect in one country then drive to another for permanent residence.

 

[bemax]

Yes to the former; or indeed the customer himself applies for the Swiss registration, gets the plates, drives to Germany, puts them on and drives back to Switzerland.

Import/export issues may rule it out; but as on other threads like the European Delivery or indeed the Long Way Home ~ there's obviously a way to collect in one country then drive to another for permanent residence.

Might be possible. But normally there are protective customs regulations that will make it quite costly. If it was a way to save money there would already exist a good known business around it. Like exporting EVs from Germany to Norway after six months holding in Germany to collect the subventions…

 

[emax]

For residents or companies In Germany it is forbidden to drive a car in Germany regularly (i.e. not only occasionally) without paying car tax. But to pay car tax the car must be registered in Germany.

 

[bemax]

For residents or companies In Germany it is forbidden to drive a car in Germany regularly (i.e. not only occasionally) without paying car tax. But to pay car tax the car must be registered in Germany.

I understand it this way:
someone from Swizerland buys a car in Germany and imports it to Swizerland in order to drive it there.

 

[emax]

Oh, messed this up.
(but the statement is anyway correct, btw.)

It's a common business in CH to buy and import a car from Germany. You need a bunch of documents for that. The problem is not to get them, but you must have them in the end. The entire business case should be equivalently applicable to the Ineos distribution model.

The Swiss authorities weigh the car btw. and do not just accept the weight from the car documents. So empty your fuel tank and take everything out of the car which doen's belong to it. The taxes in Switzerland depend on the weight, co2 emissions and displacment, as far as I know.

This website has translatable information about the regulations.

There is a video (in German) which explains it in detail, but I couldn't find an English version: