Are Italians ready to buy an electric car? What is their approach? The Continental Mobility and Safety 2021 Observatory wanted to understand whether Italy is inclined and ready for change.
From 2035 Europe will say goodbye to cars with internal combustion engines, to make way, exclusively, to those with zero emissions.
Over one in two Italians would like to buy an electric car, but almost 44% are held back by the still too high cost. Furthermore, three out of four said they can recognize an electric and hybrid car, but only 47% know exactly what the plug-in hybrid version is.
The data made available by Euromedia Research, consulted by Continental, show that the consumer is still ready for change, even if not in the short term. Over 66% of respondents said they potentially want to buy a battery-powered car.
Among the limiting factors is the still too high cost: one Italian out of two, in fact, claims not to have an adequate budget for the purchase.
“The 2021 Observatory tells us about a company that is inclined and intrigued by the electric turnaround – said Alessandro De Martino, CEO of Continental Italia – even if it does not trust change. The problem depends on the lack of communication that still does not break down prejudices. The most favorable to change are undoubtedly young people, while the most skeptical is the adult population, despite having a greater purchasing power. Education in electric driving is essential: you have to live the experience directly behind the wheel “.
Currently only one in eight Italians has had the opportunity to drive an electric car. Our country is lagging behind in the spread of zero-emission vehicles, despite the purchase incentives being among the highest in Europe. There is still no capillary network of charging stations and potential buyers still have many doubts about battery life. In Italy only 4% of electric cars are sold, compared to 10% in Europe and the fleet of electric cars in circulation is only 0.25 units against 1.7% in the rest of the Old Continent.
“There is really a lot of confusion on the subject of electric mobility – explained Massimo Nordio, Vice President Government Relations and Public Affairs Volkswagen Italia, present at the press conference – despite it being the future of the automotive world. There is little clarity and for this reason there are still a number of potential customers who do not approach for lack of certainty. And then often too many fake news circulate about it. For example, the problem of battery disposal is certainly important and fundamental, but it should not be a concern of the user.
We need to have a new vision. Even for us who build cars. It means entering into new activities which, perhaps, in the past, were delegated to others. The Volkswagen Group, for example, has chosen to deal with the total cycle of battery construction: from design to disposal. We announced the creation of six giga factories in Europe: the first in Sweden, then in Germany and then again in Spain. And then we need to standardize the platforms. From 2025 the Volkswagen Group will produce electric cars on a single platform, the SSP; this in the spirit of widening the diffusion of zero-emission cars. We need to standardize to cut costs. We must then also enter the world of recharging systems. In Italy there is a lack of high-power networks. We, as a Volkswagen Group, have signed an agreement with Enel X to build 3000 fast charging points throughout the country. Everyone needs to work as a team to reach the final goal “.
“There must be an alliance between all the operators in the supply chain – concluded Alessandro De Martino – by proposing fees rather than price lists, including, for example, wall boxes at attractive conditions, as well as the occasional availability of cars with traditional engines for weekends or trips long. Correct communication is essential for the right culture of the diffusion of the electric car ”.
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