After a year to forget in 2024, electric mobility is on the rise again. In 2025, approximately 193,000 electric cars were registered in Italy—98,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 95,000 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs)—and the market share rose to 12.6%, five percentage points higher than the previous year. This is the picture painted by the Smart Mobility Report 2026, the tenth edition of the study by Energy&Strategy at the School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano. A comparison with the rest of the continent, however, tempers the enthusiasm: in Europe, including the United Kingdom and EFTA countries, electric vehicles accounted for 26.8% of sales, with approximately 3.9 million vehicles.
In terms of numbers, therefore, the PNIEC’s target seems far off. At the current rate, Italy would reach 3.1 million electric cars by 2030, a figure that would rise to 3.6 and 4.2 million only with targeted policies. In the most ambitious scenario, by 2035, there would be 11.4 million electric vehicles, accounting for 28% of the vehicle fleet.
A Market Driven by Rules
The recovery, though insufficient, coincides with the entry into force of the new European emission limits for new cars. The same is true for freight transport: in Italy, electric vehicles have risen from 2% to 5% among light commercial vehicles and from 3.9% to 11% among vehicles weighing 3.5 to 16 metric tons. “The data clearly show that the electric mobility market is still quite policy-driven,” explains Vittorio Chiesa, director of Energy&Strategy. “Stability, clarity, and multi-year support mechanisms are needed to sustain operators’ investments.” Meanwhile, the charging network is expanding: by the end of 2025, there were approximately 1.3 million public charging points in Europe (+23%) and 77,000 in Italy (+17%), with a faster increase in the number of fast-charging stations.
China Dominates the Subcompact Car Market
The selection is expanding: as of June 2026, there were 183 battery-electric models for sale in Italy, a 49% increase. However, 68% of these belong to the mid-to-high-end segments, while there is a lack of small, affordable cars. This is where the Chinese industry is gaining ground: in 2025, car imports from China to the EU reached 13.8 billion euros, resulting in a trade deficit of 5.4 billion. This is the first time this has happened.
The European regulatory framework is currently undergoing a major overhaul. The Automotive Package introduces leeway regarding emissions standards which, according to the report, would bring the share of battery-electric vehicles among new registrations to 89% rather than 100%. With the additional flexibility proposed in the European Parliament’s first draft, this figure would drop to 58%, and annual emissions from plug-in hybrids would rise from 2.35 to 8.92 million metric tons of CO2.
Corporate fleets: an untapped lever
Fleets account for 46% of new vehicle registrations in Italy and travel three times as many kilometers as a private car. They could also fuel an affordable used electric vehicle market. Yet, according to a survey of 219 companies, 37% of large companies have not registered any zero-emission vehicles, and by 2025, 44% will not have purchased even a single BEV. Those who do use them, however, are satisfied: 79% would add them to their fleet again, and 60% derive economic benefits from them.
The report also examines battery recycling, which is key to reducing dependence on critical raw materials: there are approximately 200 facilities operating worldwide, and 24 startups have been founded in Europe since 2016.
