Cars, creative license plates, and registration fees: benefits for hybrids, not electric vehicles
Creativity seems to be the hallmark of the government’s recent decisions regarding cars. The latest cabinet meeting approved personalized license plates, while there is silence on green plates for electric vehicles, a measure that would be truly useful for distinguishing them in traffic and when accessing services. The issue of vehicle taxes is also creative. By 2027, electric vehicles over five years old will have to pay this tax, albeit at a reduced rate depending on the region, but polluting vehicles do not. At the same time, some full hybrids continue to enjoy exemptions: for calculating the tax base, only the internal combustion engine is taken into account. As a result, several models remain below the 80 kW threshold and do not pay the tax, even though their total power output is higher.
Polluting hybrids exempt, electric vehicles over 5 years old must pay
Heaters with a power output of up to 80 kW will be exempt from the tax in 2027, a measure the government presents as the first step toward a structural solution. The threshold also rises to 133 kW for families with at least four children.
Increased demand for used electric vehicles: “But the battery issue…”
Favorable treatment also applies to hybrid vehicles. As Corriere della Sera highlighted, the case of the Toyota Aygo X Hybrid is illustrative: “It currently pays around 175 euros in tax, but will be exempt starting next year. The reason is that, for full hybrids, the power considered for tax purposes is only that of the internal combustion engine, not the total power of the system. The Aygo X lists a total of 116 horsepower, but the gasoline engine provides 92 horsepower, equivalent to 68 kW. Since it falls below the 80 kW threshold, it is exempt from the tax.”
It’s true that hybrids reduce fuel consumption and emissions compared to traditional cars, but they still remain vehicles with internal combustion engines that continue to use fossil fuels. Meanwhile, almost all electric cars over five years old will have to pay the toll.
This is yet another sign of an approach that struggles to truly promote electrification. This was evident with social leasing programs, the management of eco-bonuses for cars, and more recently, the charging station bonus, which was exhausted in just a few weeks despite ongoing demand that often goes unmet.
Creative license plates to generate revenue but of little practical use, with no dedicated plates for BEVs.
Knowing the Italian temperament, Massimmo Graminelli in Corriere della Sera jokes about the latest creative move by Giorgia Meloni’s government: “This is the first tax that Italians will even pay willingly (until they find a way to evade it), and for a while people will take photos of each other on the streets, causing monstrous traffic jams.” We’re down to bread and license plates. It’s a measure to raise funds; the customization is supposed to cost 600 euros, but it won’t improve traffic management.
Conversely, a tag for electric vehicles could be useful to simplify and speed up inspections in parking lots, charging stations, and ZTL zones. This initiative exists in various countries around the world, including San Marino, as well as in Europe and China. There’s a whole world to explore here—read Edoardo Benericetti’s travel report, which explains the system in detail.
One fact that emerges from these two phenomena is that Italy lacks a clear vision for energy transition. It’s not merely a matter of being last in terms of registered electric vehicles; while Norway and other Northern European countries have dozens of electric ferries in service, we have only two.
READ ALSO: Italian cars can win the electric race if they act ahead of time—watch the VIDEO
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