Waited. Indeed, highly anticipated. The decree to start the new tranche of ecobonuses for cars, motorbikes and commercial vehicles is arriving: the signature of the Prime Minister’s office will soon be made for the definitive approval. The package will also include the leftovers from the 2023 incentives (this was not initially foreseen), but only uses part of the resources allocated for 2024. In all, around 950 million. A quarter of the total is reserved for electric. Not a little. The incentives are “immediate”, the dealerships recognize the contribution directly. But let’s proceed in order.
The car market is recovering
Is buying a new car an economically impossible dream for most Italians? The car market is recovering although, it should be noted, the golden years of 2 million new cars registered in the Peninsula are far away and will never return. Normal, because the season of electric cars, hybrids and perhaps even SUVs, continually pushes prices up and also changes society and the market. Car ownership has no longer been a dogma for years: there is more and more space for different ownership and use formulas (long-term rentals first and foremost). In many cases, in 2024, the inhabitants of large cities do not even own a car, nor do they plan to buy one, because they opt for other types of mobility (bikes, scooters, public transport). But, despite all this, 1,566,448 cars were registered in 2023, compared to 1,316,773 in 2022, an increase of 18.96%.
Changing cars costs a lot. The high prices of new cars are changing the game. In post-economic boom Italy, the car market was a popular market, the list prices were “below cost” in order to keep the factories running. Nowadays those who buy new cars keep them for a long time, and the used market is increasingly interesting. Those who don’t have large financial resources don’t think about a new car. However, the new incentive system for the modernization of the car fleet is full of surprises.
The new decree: incentives of up to 13,500 euros
The draft of the new Prime Ministerial Decree with car incentives was seen by the Confindustria newspaper, il Sun-24 Hours: the bonuses are up to 13,500 euros, if you have an ISEE under 30 thousand euros. After Meloni’s signature, there are other steps to follow: the OK from the Court of Auditors, the text to be published in the Official Journal and then the essential update of the Invitalia-Mimit platform to apply. A month or so, between one thing and another, will certainly pass.
240 million are reserved for the purchase or leasing of electric cars, while 402 million are for new models with internal combustion engines or full hybrids. Around 140 million are destined for plug-in hybrids. The rest goes to taxis, used cars (20 million), motorcycles, scooters, tricycles and quadricycles, commercial vehicles, long-term rental.
Bonus for installing LPG or methane systems
The bonus of 400-800 euros for the installation of LPG and methane systems on Euro 4 cars in circulation is particularly eagerly awaited. In the first two months of 2024, registrations of LPG-powered cars soared, 6.5% more than to February 2023. In 2023 the market was higher for the first time than in 2019 (pre-Covid data). There are more than 3 million in circulation in Italy, there are 4,600 petrol stations along the peninsula, a substantial infrastructure, behind only Germany and Poland. Given that it continues to cost less than half as much as petrol (per litre), many will make a little thought. But let’s go back to car bonuses.
Even without scrapping
Without scrapping, there is a bonus of 6 thousand euros in the 0-20 emissions range and 4 thousand in the 21-60. “The amount increases progressively if it is scrapped, based on how old and therefore polluting the vehicle is”, explains today the Sun 24 Hours. Anyone who scraps a Euro 4 will have an incentive of 9 thousand euros in the 0-20 range, 5,500 in the 21-60 range and 1,500 in the 61-135 range. With a Euro 3 you go to 10 thousand euros, 6 thousand and 2 thousand euros.
However, there is a maximum price threshold for the model that can be purchased: 35 thousand euros in the emission ranges 0-20 and 61-135 and 45 thousand euros (excluding VAT) in the intermediate 21-60 range. For the first two emission bands, the 25% increase applies for individual members of a family unit with ISEE under 30 thousand euros, thus reaching up to 13,500 euros for electric cars: 13,500 euros is the maximum that can be obtained as an incentive in this returned. It should be noted that for low incomes there is the option of obtaining incentives even by scrapping a Euro, with bonuses between 5 and 8 million Euros.
There is also an incentive to purchase used cars, worth 2 thousand euros, in the event that a vehicle from Euro 0 to Euro 4 is scrapped.
Incentives for motorbikes and scooters
All eyes are also on the incentive package for electric motorbikes, scooters, tricycles and quadricycles, there is a contribution of 30% up to 3 thousand euros which rises to 40% (up to 4 thousand euros) with the scrapping of a vehicle from Euro 0 to Euro 3. For non-electric models, up to Euro 5, a 40% discount is provided up to 2,500 euros but only on condition that the seller applies an additional reduction of at least 5% and that a vehicle from Euro to Euro 3 is scrapped.
For commercial vehicles the bonus grid is more complex and it is advisable to consult the dealers.
Source: Today.it
