Italy wants emissions exceptions for Ferrari & Lamborghini

The Italian government wants to obtain an exemption from the EU for domestic sports car manufacturers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini from 2035, as these cars are a niche market with small production numbers.

In principle, the government in Rome supports the EU plan, Italian Environment Minister Roberto Cingolani told the Bloomberg news agency. Nevertheless, he said, talks were under way with the European Union on an exemption, as sales by sports car makers represent only a fraction of the total market – with a correspondingly small impact on overall CO2 emissions from the transport sector. “I am convinced that there will be no problems,” said Cingolani.

The Environment Minister went on to say that the aforementioned manufacturers, with their small numbers, would hardly be able to exploit economies of scale. “These cars need special technology and batteries for the transition,” Cingolani said. He also announced a “giga-factory programme” as it is important that “Italy gains autonomy in the production of high-performance batteries”.

Mockers nevertheless speak of a “Lex Ferrari”, as Cingolani has a past with the sports car manufacturer: Until his appointment as environment minister, he was a non-executive director at Ferrari.

But it is not only in Italy that resistance is forming against the EU plans, which, by the way, first have to be translated into binding regulations by the national parliaments. Renault, for example, had spoken out in favour of longer deadlines than 2035, especially for hybrids and seems to have found a hearing with the government in Paris.

German rival Porsche’s CEO Oliver Blume sees exemptions for small sports car manufacturers as a mistake: “Electric sports cars will be unbeatable in the coming decade. Decarbonisation is a global issue and everyone has to make their contribution.”

carscoops.com, carscoops.com (Porsche)