Italian car market, end of 2024 with a minus sign

The Italian automotive market ended 2024 with a 4.9% decline in registrations in Decemberrecording 105,715 new cars sold. This is the fifth consecutive month of contraction, bringing the annual total to 1,558,521 vehicles, 0.5% less than in 2023 and 18% below 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

This negative trend highlights the persistent difficulties of the automotive sector in Italy, which is struggling to recover pre-Covid volumes despite government incentives. Weak demand reflects consumer uncertainty and challenges related to the transition to electric mobility.

Stellantis has registered a decline of 18.1% in Decemberwith 24,574 cars registered. Among the group’s brands, the +51.9% of DS and +31.8% of Alfa Romeo, while Fiat scores -41.2%. The Volkswagen Group saw registrations fall by 7.3% to 19,253 unitswith Audi down 17.5% and the VW brand down 4.7%. Skoda bucked the trend, growing by 39,8%. Renault Group increased sales by 5.4%, driven by Dacia’s +61%, while Toyota recorded a notable +30.8%. BMW (-14.4%) and Ford (-21.3%) fell.

The Pure electric cars (BEVs) suffered a 14.2% decline in Decemberwith a market share that has been contracting since 6% al 5,5%. Over the entire 2024 the penetration of BEV remained stable at 4,2%. They continue to growth in non-rechargeable hybrids (+9.9%)reaching a 40.7% share. However, traditional engines are decreasing, with diesel at -20.5% and petrol at -11%.

UNRAE, the association of foreign car manufacturers, expresses worry for failure to achieve the emission reduction objectives set by European regulations. The president Michele Crisci stated: “we cannot accept that a fragmented and uncoordinated policy, at both European and Italian level, turns into such a penalizing economic burden for manufacturers“.

The association criticizes the lack and lack of homogeneity of incentive instrumentscar taxation and charging infrastructure, which have slowed down the development of low-emission technologies. Crisci further underlined “the inadequacy of a policy solely to support production without adequate, coherent and continuous attention to support the market of new technologies“.

The automotive sector Italian is therefore faced with significant challenges to relaunch sales and accelerate the transition towards more sustainable mobilityin an increasingly complex regulatory and market context.