Density of public fast charging points for electric vehicles in Italy 2015-2020

The density of fast charging points installed across the Italian highway network was still low as of 2020, despite the considerable increase in their number. Between 2015 and 2020, their density grew from one charging point per 100 kilometers to 15 stations per 100 kilometers. This was, however, about two times lower than the European average in 2019 of 37 fast charging points per 100 kilometers of highway. When looking at paved roads instead of highways, it was the Netherlands that led the way worldwide with 19 EV charging stations per 100 kilometers of paved road as of 2018.

Barriers…

In 2019, there were about 800 public fast charging points in Italy. Their number was considered decidedly not enough by drivers, who often cited range anxiety, the fear of running out of charge, as one of the main barriers against the widespread use of electric vehicles. The first obstacle was, however, their high price.

…and incentives

To counteract this issue, the Italian government provides incentives, as part of the so-called Ecobonus, for cars with low CO₂ emissions purchased between 2019 and 2021. These national incentives, which mostly target fully electric and hybrid electric vehicles, can be combined with additional incentives from the Italian regions. The market share of electric cars already grew considerably in 2018 and 2019 and was expected to increase even more sharply in the following years, thanks to these measures.