Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) registrations in December stood at 5.5%, slightly higher than November’s 5.3% but below the 6% recorded in December 2023.
The National Union of Foreign Car Representatives (Unrae) highlights that 2024 was a “lost year” in this regard, with the transition to zero-emission mobility showing no signs of accelerating.
As a result, 2024 closed with a BEV market share of 4.2%, similar to that of 2023.
Plug-in hybrid (PHEVs) units reached a market share of 3.4% in December, showing a slight increase compared to November.
However, their annual performance declined, with a 2024 share of 3.3%, down from 4.4% in the previous year.
The total share of electrified vehicles (ECVs) in 2024 fell to 7.5%, compared to 8.6% in 2023.
Hybrids (HEVs), on the other hand, gained four percentage points throughout the year, ending 2024 with a market share of 40.2% (40.7% in December), with 11.8% attributed to full hybrids and 28.4% to mild hybrids.
Unrae has emphasised that the low penetration of electric vehicles continues to raise serious concerns about meeting the emissions reduction targets set by European regulations.
Unrae warns of “the unsustainability of the targets in place from 2025,” which could result in fines for manufacturers estimated at around 16 billion euros in the first year alone, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
“We cannot accept that fragmented and uncoordinated policies, both at European and Italian levels, become such a detrimental economic burden for manufacturers,” states Michele Crisci, President of Unrae.
Crisci adds: “There is no doubt that the Green Deal is not the cause of the automotive crisis in Europe. However, we must firmly underline that the lack of sufficient and harmonised incentives, vehicle taxation, and adequate infrastructure have clearly hindered the market’s expected development of new zero- and low-emission technologies.”
In this context, the Italian automotive association reminds that the European Commission has announced the launch of a ‘Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry’ scheduled for January 2025.
This initiative will involve key stakeholders to define and implement concrete measures aimed at strengthening the sector’s competitiveness, addressing the challenges of decarbonisation with a technology-neutral approach, supporting employment, and modernising the regulatory framework.
Registrations of other propulsion types
Among other fuel types, petrol-powered cars ended 2024 with a slight growth in volume and market share, reaching 29% (+0.8 percentage points).
However, December saw a decline in registrations, dropping to 28.1% (-1.9 percentage points).
Diesel vehicles saw a decline to a market share of 13.9% in 2024 (-3.9 percentage points) and dropped further to 13.1% in December (-2.5 percentage points).
LPG vehicles closed the year with a 9.4% market share (+0.3 percentage points), with a December share of 9.2% (+0.1 percentage points).
Fiat ends 2024 as Italy’s top selling brand
Fiat, part of the Stellantis Group, was the best-selling brand in Italy at the end of the year, registering 143,867 units—a 17.6% decline compared to 2023.
In December alone, the brand registered 6,196 units, a 41.15% drop, ranking as only the fifth most popular brand in its home country.
Toyota took the second spot for the year, registering 122,946 units in Italy in 2024, a 24.55% increase compared to the previous year.
In December, the brand achieved 9,289 registrations (+29.21%), securing second place for the month. Volkswagen rounded out the annual top three with 121,288 vehicles registered (-1.25%), while taking the top spot in December with 10,296 units sold (-4.72%).
The most popular model in the Italian market was the Fiat Panda, with 99,871 units sold in 2024, followed by the Dacia Sandero (60,380) and the Jeep Avenger (41,184).
In December alone, the Fiat Panda was the best-selling model with 4,491 units, followed by the Dacia Sandero (3,277) and the Citroen C3 (2,932).
