Because incentives for electric cars may not be enough

Following various consultations, the Government is now very close to finalizing the first intervention measures dedicated to the ecological transition, to therefore encourage the renewal of the fleet in Italy which according to studies has an average age of 12 years. According to the first rumors, the new treasury should be 650 million euros and should extend, without changes, throughout 2022, 2023 and 2024. The new incentives, except for last-minute changes or denials, should concern three bands and no economic aid is foreseen for companies that decide to renew their fleet.

The classification of the three bands should follow the one previously introduced ; therefore, it is legitimate to wait for one dedicated to electric (0-20 g / km of CO2) and two designed for hybrid (21-60 g / km of CO2) or new generation endothermic (61-135 g / km of CO2) . The fund will not be distributed equally but will be dedicated in greater proportion to less polluting cars; for example, the draft of the decree provides that the 61-135 g / km of CO2 band will have an initial 170 million available, 150 million in 2023 and, finally, 120 million in 2024. Support will therefore be progressive for electric and hybrid , while less substantial for the endothermic ones as well. In any case, for more detailed information regarding the incentives, the field of application, the request methods and the available models, we suggest you consult our in-depth analysis; in this regard, we remind you that the incentives will also be available for electric two-wheelers.



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What happens to the market

The result is a direct consequence of the absence of mobility incentives, announced on several occasions but not still officially published. To this aspect, unfortunately, there is also the limited availability of some models (or accessories!) Which has made the life of buyers even more complicated. The war in Ukraine (and the related shutdown of some factories in Russia) has now been added to the semiconductor crisis, which have led to an even more difficult recovery. To give you a more practical example, until a few months ago it was necessary to wait up to 3 months for a Ford Puma, 5 months for an Audi A4 and 6 months for a Volkswagen Golf. The same goes for the Italians: 3 months for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, 4 months for the Fiat Tipo and 5 months for the Fiat 500 L. a positive sign for LPG cars (+ 9%), while diesel and petrol are in constant decline. And for the electric? Here the speech becomes more complicated, with the hybrids that manage to keep pace while the pure electric ones are struggling to assert themselves. Different situation, however, for Tesla, which manages to position itself at the top of the ranking of the best-selling electric with Tesla Model Y and hold firm to fourth position with Model 3. Musk's numbers are really important, especially if you consider the purchase price without incentives. br>

Concerns

According to Francesco Naso, secretary of Motus-E, the new car incentives may not be adequate thanks to the remodeling compared to the previous year. The latest information, not yet officially confirmed, shows the availability of incentives of up to 5 thousand euros for pure electricity with a maximum spending threshold of 35 thousand euros. For plug-in hybrids, however, the bonus is up to 4 thousand euros with a maximum cost of 45 thousand euros. In this regard, we remind you that the previous maneuver also allowed you to buy some Tesla models, which now would be out of the canons due to the price.


This is inconsistent with the promptness of the technological developments at stake and with the policies on charging infrastructures put in place so far: in fact on the one hand the state will finance the high-power charging infrastructures with 740 million euros, on the other it will incentivize cars that do not charge at high power. Coherence between the measures would be needed.

In addition, again for the secretary, another slowdown could come due to the absence of an incentive for corporate fleets. This represents a missed opportunity and could create possible repercussions on all sectors that rely on this type of transport. However, that would not be the only problem; with the introduction of the Public Foreign Vehicle Register, a maneuver that makes it easier to drive a foreign car in Italy, there could be a tax drain from other countries. In other words, companies could buy, with benefits, new cars outside of Italy and get around the problem.

For UNRAE the solution is simple: introduce a gradual deduction of VAT and targeted incentives based on to CO2 emissions, gradually eliminating the most polluting solutions. In detail, the association asks to increase the deduction to 100% (from the current 40%) for purely electric cars.




With this growth, according to the report, it will be necessary on average to install 14 thousand new public recharging points every week for the next few 9 years to achieve the objectives related to the diffusion of electric cars (and vehicles in general). In Italy, as evidenced by several fronts, the situation is even more problematic with a non-homogeneous arrangement, more localized in the north-center rather than in the south. Furthermore, the problem in Italy is not linked only to the positioning but also to the power itself which on average is between 7 and 22 kW, a decidedly limiting value to allow fast recharging.

In recent weeks, however, they have come small signs of hope from the startup Free to X of Autostrade per l'Italia, which has announced that it is working on new motorway construction sites to cover the peninsula from north to south. The project provides for 100 charging stations by 2023, so as to ensure a maximum distance of 50 km from each other. Each column will work 24/7 with a maximum power of 300 Watts.

What to expect in the future

The future seems to depend on the Government and the situation of the automotive industry; the hope is that the latter will recover quickly and significantly cut the waiting times for the delivery of the new cars. The Government, on the other hand, requires an important maneuver both to allow a continuous injection of incentives and to modify and improve the charging infrastructure which, at the moment, appears to be sufficient only in northern Italy.

The ecological transition is not it is only necessary to comply with the objectives set by the European Union, but also fundamental for some brands, such as Stellantis, which has decided to make Italy a crucial point in the development of the brand. In this regard, all the factories (including the Italians) will be transformed into structures dedicated to the construction of electric cars.