Italy sets aside €60 mil for EV subsidies

The previously announced subsidies from the Italian government for electric and hybrid vehicles can now be applied for. The budget for this year is 60 million euros and will increase to 70 million euros in 2020 and 2021.

The subsidies are restricted to two types of vehicles: two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles. The two-wheeled category has two sub-categories: of type L1 and L3 two-wheelers, the former with a maximum speed of 45 km/h; and the second kind of two-wheelers eligible are vehicles with an engine displacement that exceeds 50 cc and a maximum speed that exceeds 45 km/h. Only new, electric or hybrid, two-wheelers that registered in Italy this year and have power of less than 11 kW qualify for these subsidies.

The other vehicle category targeted under the subsidies are the M1 type of vehicles, that is passenger vehicles with four wheels and eight seats or less including the driver’s seat. These vehicles may only have a maximum of 70 grams CO2 emissions per kilometre, registration in Italy by the end of 2021 and a list price of fewer than 50,000 euros including VAT. If a combustion engine complying with Euro standards 1 to 4 is scrapped in parallel, 6,000 euros will be paid for the purchase or leasing of a purely electric car and 2,500 euros for hybrids with CO2 emissions of between 20 and 70 g/km. If no vehicle is scrapped, subsidies of 4,000 to 1,500 euros apply. Subsidies are also available for electric two-wheelers up to a speed of 45 km/h and an output of less than 11 kW.

For the next 120 days, 20 million euros will initially be available as part of the programme. The remaining resources for the year will be made available via a special portal, according to a government statement. The support package is embedded in the long-discussed Italian budget for 2019. The leadership in Rome comments on the electric mobility subsidies with the following words: “The measure is not a measure to support the vehicle market but has an entirely environmental purpose as it integrates with the current European legislation on air quality and the environment”.

pv-magazine.com, gazzettaufficiale.it (Italian)