The price of energy is falling on international markets but charging an electric car is increasingly expensive in Italy. A bit like what happens with oil and petrol prices.
Despite the collapse in energy prices on international markets, charging electric cars is increasingly expensive in Italy, reports Federcarrozzieri, the association of Italian body shops, which has heard the cry of alarm from motorists by analyzing the trend in tariffs in the 'last year. Meanwhile, a handbook of insurance experts arrives to orient oneself in the sea of their rates.
Between 2023 and 2024, the companies that manage charging stations for electric cars on Italian soil changed the tariff conditions several times, sending communications to customers who had signed contracts and subscriptions - explains Federcarrozzieri - If the tariffs are based on consumption, the so-called "pay for use", record a fluctuating trend, rising for some types of top-ups and decreasing for others, monthly subscriptions and pay-per-use packages increase significantly.
For example, for Plenitude's Be Charge service which has over 20 thousand charging stations in Italy, the consumer cost goes from 0.60 euros/kWh for Quick charging (up to 22 kW) at the beginning of 2023 to the current 0.65 euros/kWh (+8.3%), while Ultrafast charging (up to 150 kW) remains unchanged at 0.95 euros/kWh. Since last November, however, it has no longer been possible to take advantage of monthly subscriptions.
For Enel and the Small subscription which at a cost of 25 euros allowed you to recharge up to 70 kWh has disappeared, replaced by the more expensive City subscription: 80 kWh at 49 euros with an increase in expense, considering the cost per kWh, of +69.4 %.
Cascading increases also for the tariffs charged by A2A - reports Federcarrozzieri - the consumption tariff for top-ups at the digital and Quick islands has gone from 0.56 euros/kWh at the beginning of 2023 to the current 0.65 euros/kWh, with a increase of +16%, while the cost for the Fast+ and Ultra service fell (from 0.95 to 0.90 euro/kWh, -5.2%). The increases for subscriptions are significant: the Small one goes up from 23 to 25 euros (+8.70%), the Medium one from 51 to 57 euros (+11.7%), the Large one from 92 to 106 euros (+15.2 %). The Extra Large subscription has been completely cancelled, which, at a cost of 122 euros for standard customers and 106 euros for domestic customers, allowed top-ups of up to 320kWh/month.
The only good news comes from foreign companies operating in Italy - analyzes the body shop association - The operator Ionity has kept the consumption rate unchanged at 0.79 euros/kWh, and has reduced the cost of the "Ionity" subscription Passport" which drops from 11.99 euros to 5.99 euros per month (-50%). Compared to the beginning of 2023, Tesla has cut the costs of charging for all cars by approximately 7%, and the costs of subscriptions and charging for Tesla-branded cars by 2%.
"For weeks we have been receiving protests from motorists denouncing how the costs of charging for electric cars are increasingly higher in Italy - says president Davide Galli - Increases which appear completely unjustified if we consider the trend in energy prices". Finally, Aiped, the experts' association, provides motorists with a handbook, which can be downloaded from the site, with the individual services and compensation relating to the various categories of road accident experts.