Because the transition to the electric car in Italy is slow

If in Europe the sale of electric cars reached 15% of the total number of registrations last May, in Italy we fell behind: in the same month, in fact, the sale of “full electric” models settled at a much higher miserable 4.1%. An increasing percentage compared to 3.6% recorded in May 2022, but still well below the European average.

To try to understand the reason for this anomaly, we asked for the opinion of Antonio De BellisE-mobility Lead Manager of ABB Italia and Vice President of Motus-E, the association born in Italy to systematize and accelerate the transition towards electric mobility.

According to De Bellis, the reasons for the low percentage of sales of “full electric” cars in our country is due to a negative mix of approximate knowledge on the part of the users and a lack of vision in future perspective on the part of the politicians. “If you are in a country where there is a campaign based much more on fake news than on facts, a lot of uncertainty is created for a purchase that is necessary in some cases”, such as that of a car, “in other cases perhaps more ».

De Bellis points out that the lack of information can lead prospective customers to believe in the imminent advent of technologies that are not yet mature for the car market, such ashydrogen, diverting possible buyers from full electric models that are actually already on the price list. «Also speaking to friends and acquaintances who have to change cars, the problem they have in mind is somewhat linked to all these contradictions that are mentioned. “The future will be hydrogen”, we often hear. But it’s true? Until some time ago it seemed, here in Italy, that hydrogen was the Holy grail of the future of the car. But – and I speak from an engineering point of view – I can only say “good luck” about this. In the sense that maybe sooner or later we will also reach the goal [di trovare in commercio veicoli con propulsione a idrogeno, ndr], but first of all I don’t think they will be cars and then it will take time anyway. Today the technology is not ready and has decidedly higher costs».

The problem, says De Bellis, is above all political: «If there were a little more logic in applying the incentives as regards the purchase of cars… today everything can be said except that we are facilitating the penetration of electric vehicles, as has been done in other countries. There should be less confusion from the point of view of the messages given to companies and citizens”.