Safe to the last kilometre: How long is a Mobility car in use?
19.11.2025
Thousands of Mobility cars are on the road every day. To ensure that they remain reliable, they need care, monitoring – and at some point the right time to be taken out of service. Fleet Manager Viktor Wyler explains when this moment comes.
Key points at a glance:
Passenger car will be replaced after around 100’000 kilometres driven.
Van stays in service for longer – up to 120’000 kilometres.
Electric cars will also be used up to around 120’000 kilometres in the future. Most manufacturers give an eight-year or 160’000-kilometre warranty on the battery.
After withdrawal from service, Mobility sells the vehicles to second-hand car dealers or via auction platforms for car dealers. Private individuals cannot purchase former Mobility cars.
Viktor, how long does a car stay in the Mobility fleet on average?
The question is not really how long a vehicle stays in the fleet, but how far it is driven. We take more account of mileage than age. After all, A five-year-old vehicle with a few kilometres can still be technically in excellent condition, while a heavily used car needs to be replaced sooner.
When it comes to the kilometres, what is the limit?
The guideline value for passenger cars is nearly 100’000 kilometres, and for vans around 120’000. Where electric cars are concerned, we test deployments of up to 120’000 kilometres. What’s really important – safety is always the top priority.
How does Mobility keep its vehicles in a reliable condition for as long as possible?
We need a sophisticated maintenance system for this purpose. Our ServiceMobilers work behind the scenes to ensure that every vehicle remains clean and ready for use. We also bring the vehicles to the brand dealerships or specialist workshops for maintenance and repair work.
Is there anything that ServiceMobilers look out for in particular?
One important point is tyre management: We regularly check the tyre pressure. As a result, the tyres last much longer and we can detect irregularities and advanced wear at an early stage.
How do you deal with scratches and dents that are unsightly but not relevant for safety?
This is actually an everyday issue. Bumper corners in particular are often affected – and repairs can easily cost between CHF 1’500 and 2’000. This raises the question: do we repair each case of damage immediately or should we ignore minor damages?
And how do you decide that?
We don’t compromise when it comes to safety-related defects. But when it comes to purely optical damage, we weigh it up. Sometimes we deliberately decide not to carry out an expensive repair and charge a fair flat rate instead. We thus save on resources and costs – and our customers understand why not every car looks flawless.
At what point does it cease to be worthwhile keeping a car in use?
Apart from the mileage limit, major repairs are a reason for decommissioning a vehicle – such as a complete brake overhaul, a defective control unit or engine damage following incorrect fuelling. It’s no longer worthwhile for us then.
What happens to a decommissioned car?
We sell the vehicles exclusively to dealers or via online car trading platforms, usually in bundles of five to ten cars. We don’t engage in private sales because we don’t want to take any warranty risks. However, we are currently examining a concept for targeted reconditioning of selected vehicles – perhaps together with warranty partners.
How does this fleet strategy contribute to Mobility’s sustainability goals?
If we keep vehicles in service longer, we reduce the use of resources. The on-board computers have to be installed and removed less frequently, and we carry out purely optical repairs less often. This saves CO₂ and costs.
Last question: Does this mean that longer usage also has an impact on prices?
Yes, and our customers also notice this. For example, we have been able to keep our rates stable in recent years, despite rising vehicle prices.
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