Technologies and innovation that will change the future of the cars
The mobility industry is constantly evolving, driven by technological innovation and increasing environmental awareness among people. Electric cars are set to be the sustainable alternative to traditional fossil-fueled vehicles. Those choosing a new car today also consider the electric route by assessing their needs and economic possibilities. With increasingly efficient batteries and an ever-expanding charging network, electric cars are rapidly becoming an attractive choice for consumers around the world.
Electric cars in Italy: a trend set to grow?
According to the latest data from the European Commission’s European Alternative Fuels Observatory, Italy is making progress in the transition to electric mobility, but there is still much work to be done. In a total of more than 44 million vehicles on the road in Italy, electric cars account for less than 1 percent. Certainly, the number of electric cars in Italy continues to grow: in 2023 it increased by 37% compared to 2022, from 185,086 to 252,937 vehicles (considering electric cars and trucks weighing less than 3.5t).
Interesting numbers, but they still need to improve to reach the market share that electric vehicles have in other European countries.
Trend of electric cars in Europe
If we compare the situation in Italy with other European countries, it is clear that there is still ample room for improvement. According to data from Motus-E while France and Germany boasted a 16.4 percent and 18.1 percent market share of electric cars, respectively, in December 2023, Italy stood at only 4.1 percent. Despite progress, therefore, it is clear that there are still hurdles to overcome to reach levels similar to those of the leading countries.
Electric charging stations in Italy
A key element in encouraging the adoption of electric cars is the availability of charging points. Again, data from Motus-E speak for themselves: as of December 31, 2023, there were 50,678 public charging stations in Italy, an increase of 27.45 percent over 2022. These charging points are distributed relatively evenly across Italy, with 58 percent in northern Italy, 19 percent in central Italy, and the remaining 23 percent in the south and islands.
The density of charging stations also has encouraging numbers. Already today, in 86% of the national territory a charging station can be found within a 10km radius. If we then consider only urbanized areas, up to 2,000 columns can be found in the same 10km.
The highway network and fast charging stations
A significant step in promoting the shift to electric is to ensure that motorists can take long trips without worrying about range by ensuring the presence of ultrafast charging stations along highways. To this end, Free To X has already completed the first 100 charging stations along the Autostrade per l’Italia. network, about 50 km apart.
Density of charging stations and comparison with other countries
Already today in any case, the electric charging network in Italy is well-proportioned when compared to the amount of electric vehicles on the road.With 23 columns per 100 electric vehicles, Italy surpasses France (14 columns per 100 electric vehicles), Germany and the United Kingdom (both with 10 columns per 100 electric vehicles). This is an encouraging figure, highlighting that the charging network in Italy is already well on its way to supporting the needs of electric travelers, as well as , of course, continuing to grow rapidly to meet both the numbers of a market that is destined to expand and the tourist electric inducement characteristic of the summer season.
Italy is moving toward an increasingly electric future. Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done to make electric mobility an even more accessible and affordable reality for everyone, but the direction is clear and already traveling electric is more than ever a viable as well as sustainable choice.
