The electric car still doesn't convince Italians.
A few weeks after the launch, and in view of the new round expected in March, the ecobonus incentives for low-emission combustion engine cars have practically run out.
According to the data reported on the Mimit website, the resources still available for cars with emissions between 61 and 135 grams of CO2, powered by latest generation petrol or diesel but also mild hybrids, are now a handful of millions, compared to a initial endowment of 120 million euros.
Electric cars, however, remain at a standstill: the incentives available for vehicles between 0 and 20 grams of CO2 per km are approximately 187 million compared to an initial allocation of 194 million.
Things are no better for plug-ins, i.e. for cars between 21 and 60 grams of CO2: here, of the initial 232 million, 229 still remain. Those left empty-handed will have to wait for the new aid which will probably arrive in March.
The objective of the new round, carefully reshaped in favor of low incomes, is to relaunch the sector, which has suffered for too long and has been under the spotlight in recent days due to the controversies between the government and Stellantis.
Among the new features is the possibility of scrapping Euro 5 cars and a maximum contribution to scrapping which rises from 5 thousand to 13,750 euros.
Overall, 950 million are made available, absorbing the resources already allocated, of which 330 million are left over from 2022. The new distribution rewards electric with 35 million more than the previous allocation, thus reaching 240 million.
150 million (-95 million) are allocated to plug-ins, while a significant increase is recorded for low-emission cars which will have 403 million available, 283 million more than established in 2022. In the case of family income Isee less than 30 thousand euros, among the various measures, a 25% increase in contributions is envisaged.
An incentive of 2,000 euros is instead provided for the purchase of used Euro 6 cars with a value not exceeding 25 thousand euros, in the case of simultaneous scrapping of a vehicle up to the Euro 4 class that has been owned for at least 12 months.
To facilitate the transition to electric, incentives for the necessary charging stations are also back, with a discount of up to 80% on the purchase and installation price for a maximum of 1,500 euros for private individuals and 8,000 euros for condominiums.
The new relief plan comes at a delicate moment in the relationship between the government and Stellantis.
"Without subsidies, the plants in Italy are put at risk", warned the CEO of the multinational, Carlos Tavares, indicating the Mirafiori and Pomigliano plants as those most at risk.
After the reply from Minister Adolfo Urso came that of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani: "The biggest concern is the defense of jobs.
I hope that Stellantis can continue to produce cars in Italy, electric or hybrid.
But it is important that Italy can continue to be the second largest manufacturer in Europe". The issue becomes the subject of political conflict. The leader of Action, Carlo Calenda, directly calls ownership into question: "Elkann must come to Parliament in Italy to explain what Stellantis' industrial plan is". Meanwhile, the trade unions' fears for the factories on the Peninsula are growing, also looking at the troubled history of the Termini Imerese site, once a Fiat factory, where the light for the former Blutec None of the three proposals received by the extraordinary commissioners would be suitable.
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