The Italian car market records the first positive sign of 2020. In September - according to data from the Ministry of Transport - 156,132 car registrations were registered, 9.5% more than in the same month of 2019. The total number of cars sold since the beginning of the year: 966,017 in the nine months, half a million less than in the same period of 2019, with a decrease of 34.21%.
The hybrid and electric car segment grows, + 215% in September and + 72% from the beginning of 2020
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Among these, mild and full hybrids grew by 210% in the month, with a market share of 20.5%, and by 60% in the first nine months of 2020, with a share of 13% (it was 5% in the same period of 2019).
Rechargeable batteries sold in September 2020 are 241% more than in September 2019, thanks to strong positive changes in both electric cars (+ 224% and 2.6% share) and, above all, plug-in hybrids (+268 % and 1.9% share), which together represent 4.5% of the market in the last month and 3% since the beginning of the year.
In the cumulative of the first nine months of 2020, electric and rechargeable hybrids increased by 154% compared to the same period of 2019. In September, the hybrid version of the Panda was confirmed as the best-selling model of all hybrid cars.
The hybrid versions of the Lancia Ypsilon and Fiat 500 also performed well, in fourth and sixth place respectively.
Jeep Compass and Jeep Renegade are the two best-selling plug-in hybrid models.
FCA
recorded a positive sign in Italy in September, almost double the growth of the market: registrations were 36,979, 17.52% more than in the same month of 2019, with a share of 23.68% compared to 22.08% (+ 1.61%).
In the nine months the group sold 227,083 cars, with a decrease of 35.72% compared to the same period of 2019 and a share of 23.51% (-0.56%).
As for the brands, Jeep, Fiat and Lancia grew more than the market average in September.
Jeep records over 7,000 cars, 24.3% more than in the same month of 2019, and achieves a share of 4.5%, up 0.5 percentage points from the same month a year ago.
Fiat records more than 23,100 cars, 19.1% more than in September 2019, for a share of 14.8%, up 1.2 percentage points.
Lancia registers almost 4,700 cars (12.8% more than last year) for a share of 3%, equal to +0.1 percentage points.
Alfa Romeo registers over 2,000 vehicles and gets a 1.3% share.
There are 4 FCA models in the 'top ten' of best-selling cars in September, with Fiat Panda firmly in first place followed by Lancia Ypsilon, in the ranking also the Jeep Renegade and the Fiat 500X.
Once again Panda confirms its leadership in sales in Italy and first in segment A, of which it holds a 48.5% share.
Together with the Fiat 500 - second in segment A - it reaches a share of 59.3% in the category.
Second was the Lancia Ypsilon, first in segment B with a 13% share.
The Jeep Renegade is also the best-selling in its segment, with a 13.8% share, while the Fiat 500X is among the best-selling in its category (10.2%).
Excellent results also for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Fiat 500L, both first in their segments, with shares of 17.5% and 38.2% respectively.
The Fiat Tipo (with 11.8% share) and the Jeep Compass (10.9%) are also at the top of their segments.
"After an uninterrupted series of drops, even severe ones - underlines the
Centro Studi Promotor
- the Italian car market in September recorded the first growth of 2020 with an increase of 9.54%, very favorably received by the operators in the sector" From the inquiry The economic situation conducted at the end of September shows "a very high level of confidence among dealers. The merit of the growth in September is due to the incentives provided for by the Relaunch Decree amended upon conversion into law. The September result could have been much more significant if the allocation for the incentives had not been strictly limited according to the CO2 emissions per kilometer grouped into 4 classes. The sector associations have asked to merge the foreseen funds into a single fund. This request could be accepted in the conversion of the August Decree into law According to the Centro Studi Promotor, it is not possible, not even with revised incentives
to recover in the last three months of the year the significant number of cars sold less.
2020 will therefore record a lower volume than 2019, which closed at 1,916,649.
It is necessary - says Gian Primo Quagliano, president of the Centro Studi Promotor - to allocate much more resources to the renewal of the Italian car fleet than those allocated in 2020. The most appropriate instrument at this time is the Budget Law 2021, but it will also have to use part of the funds made available by the European Union to launch an organic recovery plan that has not yet overcome, not only the crisis caused by the pandemic, but not even that of 2008.
"The data on registrations for the month of September finally positive - comments Michele Crisci, president of
Unrae, the association of foreign car manufacturers
- are equivalent to a litmus test that confirms the effectiveness of the incentive policy as a necessary tool to overcome a extraordinary market crisis ". "Unrae - he adds - has made every effort to make it clear that the exceptional economic situation induced by the pandemic had to be addressed with extraordinary measures. The incentives for the car market launched by the Government are providing the necessary breath of fresh air. to overcome an extremely negative phase, which unfortunately is not and will not be of short duration. Taking off oxygen when the acute phase is not over is equivalent to rekindling the crisis and thus frustrating the economic efforts that the State and the car manufacturers themselves they have done to support the market, so far with comforting results ". Unrae also notes "the risk of a rapid depletion of the resources allocated to incentives especially for the largest part of the market". "Failure to refinance incentives would damage the market and would be a sensational strategic mistake on the part of our country", concludes Crisci.