Sunrise Observatory Event: market and energy transition in the automotive sector

The SUNRISE Observatory, established within the National Center for Sustainable Mobility (MOST), operates with the aim of monitoring the evolution of road traffic in various territorial contexts and developing prospective scenarios to support energy transition and decarbonization of the transport sector. 

It includes, as members, primary institutions and industrial realities: Almaviva S.p.A., Autostrade per l’Italia S.p.A., Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A., ENI S.p.A., Fondazione Caracciolo – Centro Studi dell’Automobile Club d’Italia, IVECO S.p.A. The Observatory also relies on the collaboration of numerous Italian universities. 

The meeting on March 26 is dedicated to the presentation of a new Report that analyzes the trend of the road vehicle market in Italy, divided by type and fuel, comparing it with the main European countries. 

Among the elements that emerged: the reduction in new car registrations, the increase in average price and vehicle sizes, the growing share of SUVs, the high market share of hybrids (HEV), and the still limited spread of pure electric vehicles (BEV). 

The Report also includes the results of the first sample survey conducted by the Piepoli Institute on the behaviors of Italian families, with a focus on car usage, composition of the circulating fleet, purchasing trends, and factors of uncertainty that influence decisions. 

Based on this evidence, an analysis of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of passenger and commercial vehicles is proposed, considering variables such as segment, annual mileage, fuel type, and price trends for fuels and electricity. The picture that emerges highlights how, at the current state, the economic competitiveness of electric vehicles is significant especially in the presence of incentives or subsidies, or in the case of high mileage and predominantly domestic charging. 

The meeting will provide an opportunity for discussions with the main stakeholders in the sector to talk about the interpretation of the data and possible policy lines to be implemented.