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Charging points are increasing in Italy, though sales of EVs are among the lowest in Europe
Simonluca Pini - Contributing Editor at Sole 24 Ore
Italians still don't like electric cars: who is to blame? Not the numbers of charging stations, which is growing in the country
In Italy, very few electric cars are sold. Despite the incentives and the growth of charging points, car registrations in May confirm the scepticism of Italians towards cars without pistons. Because, if on the one hand sales increased by 37.8% in the past twelve months, the figures are merciless: only 6,164 registrations, against a total of 149,701 and with a market share of 4.12%. Overall, 26,525 cars were sold in Italy in the first five months of the year, equal to a market share of 3.77% against a total of 704,464 vehicles.
The comparison with the main European markets, using the data published by Motus-E, makes the situation even more critical, positioning Italy at the rear of the chart together with Spain. Indeed, in the first four months, Spain achieved 15,240 registrations and Italy 20,360, against 33,454 in the Netherlands (with a record market share of 26%), 81,998 in France and 124,574 in Germany.
Charging points are growing
Few electric cars are sold because there are no charging stations? The numbers prove this hypothesis wrong. Indeed, in the first quarter of the year, 4,401 new charging points for public use were installed, bringing the national total to 41,173 points, of which only 77% are active. In the period January-March 2023, an average of around 340 new charging points were installed per week. A figure that has helped to reach the 13,316 charging points installed in the last 12 months (+47.8%). In exactly two years, the number of charging points in Italy practically doubled: from 20,757 to 41,173, with approximately 90% of recharging points having a power equal to or less than 43 kW. Analyzing the distribution of infrastructures, Lombardia Region is confirmed as the Region with the most charging points (6,661), ahead of the trio made up of Piedmont (4,215), Veneto (4,169) and Lazio (4,032). Emilia-Romagna closes the ranking of the top five, reaching 3,732, while Campania in the first quarter of the year recorded the best growth at a national level: since the beginning of the year, charging points have gone from 1,184 to 2,145. However, the South and the Islands remain the areas least covered by recharging points, a situation that affects sales: in the first five months of 2023, they recorded a total of 3,013 registrations against 6,293 in the Center and 17,219 in the North.
The comparison with the main European markets, using the data published by Motus-E, makes the situation even more critical, positioning Italy at the rear of the chart together with Spain. Indeed, in the first four months, Spain achieved 15,240 registrations and Italy 20,360, against 33,454 in the Netherlands (with a record market share of 26%), 81,998 in France and 124,574 in Germany.
Charging points are growing
Few electric cars are sold because there are no charging stations? The numbers prove this hypothesis wrong. Indeed, in the first quarter of the year, 4,401 new charging points for public use were installed, bringing the national total to 41,173 points, of which only 77% are active. In the period January-March 2023, an average of around 340 new charging points were installed per week. A figure that has helped to reach the 13,316 charging points installed in the last 12 months (+47.8%). In exactly two years, the number of charging points in Italy practically doubled: from 20,757 to 41,173, with approximately 90% of recharging points having a power equal to or less than 43 kW. Analyzing the distribution of infrastructures, Lombardia Region is confirmed as the Region with the most charging points (6,661), ahead of the trio made up of Piedmont (4,215), Veneto (4,169) and Lazio (4,032). Emilia-Romagna closes the ranking of the top five, reaching 3,732, while Campania in the first quarter of the year recorded the best growth at a national level: since the beginning of the year, charging points have gone from 1,184 to 2,145. However, the South and the Islands remain the areas least covered by recharging points, a situation that affects sales: in the first five months of 2023, they recorded a total of 3,013 registrations against 6,293 in the Center and 17,219 in the North.
