The introduction of EVs and HEVs in Italy is driven by a series of temporary environmental control actions and the increasing share of renewable energy sources within an increasingly diverse energy mix.

The central government, regulatory bodies, and local authorities (regional and municipal) are proposing and discussing new legislation, regulations, and supporting measures to significantly reduce the environmental and energy impact of the transport sector, which still accounts for about 27% of the overall end use of energy and about 30% of the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The government is formally committed by the European Union targets for CO2 emission reductions and increased use of alternative fuels.Other positive signals for EVs in Italy include the initiatives supporting organized charging infrastructure and experimental pilot demonstrations, together with the announcements of new vehicles ready for the market.

These are also expectations that some support measures, such as INDUSTRY 2015, will start yielding results in next few years. In conclusion, the market for EVs and HEVs (and even PHEVs) is estimated to grow more significantly when more vehicles and new batteries become available after 2012.