Electric cars like them but are too expensive for 87% of Italians

The dear life brakes the electric car: among Italian consumers it continues to decrease the interest in Bee and plug -in Hybrid Electric vehicles, while it still increases (+2 percentage points compared to 2024 and +13 pp compared to 2023 ) the share of those who consider petrol and diesel vehicles for the next purchase. The majority (87%) of Italian consumers, in fact, would like to spend a maximum of 50 thousand euros for the next machine, but many electric vehicles exceed this limit. The share of those who “fall back” on hybrid models (+2 pp compared to 2024) is also consolidated, looking for a compromise between respect for the environment and wallet.

This is what emerges from Global Automotive Consumer Study 2025 by Deloittethe periodic research of Deloitte who photographs the sentiment of 31 thousand consumers in 30 countries including Italy. “The new edition of our report highlights the difficulties of the automotive sector through the consumer point of view,” explains Franco Orsogna, Automotive Sector leader of Deloitte. “The sector has been pushed towards rapid electrification, but the high cost of electric vehicles produced by European manufacturers continues to be inaccessible for a wide consumers, rekindling the interest in petrol cars, diesels and hybrid models. A This regard, it is not surprising that from Germany – which remains the largest car manufacturer in Europe – recently proposals for new incentives have arrived to support the purchase of electric cars in the EU countries, to compete with China “.

The dear life continues to slow down the transition to the electric

Although the Italians are confirmed very attentive to the environment (49%, -2 percentage points), the inflationary pressures and the failure of public incentives has curbed the interest in electric vehicles for the second year in a row. The grip of dear life is also felt on the front of the reasons that push to buy the electric: for the first year consumers are pushed to the purchase of electric vehicles more by the perspective of a saving on fuel than from the desire to reduce their own Environmental impact. Despite this, the Italians are confirmed more sensitive to the environment of other countries, where interest in ICE vehicles (Internal Combustion Engine) is much more marked, touching peaks of 60% in Poland, 57% in Austria and the 53% in Germany.

Doubts about electricity: driving autonomy, charging time and lack of charging infrastructure

51% of Italians who want to buy an electric car would prefer to recharge their vehicle at their home, while 38% would resort to public charging stations. 25% believe that the installation of the charger for electric vehicles at home is not feasible. For 39%, a good charging experience should guarantee a quick charging time, reporting other factors including ease of use (13%), safety (12%), accessibility (12%) and even the number of available sockets/ working (6%). As for fears, 41% are still worried about the autonomy of the driving time, 40% for the charging time and 36% for the lack of charging infrastructure. The cost to replace the battery, however, worries less (35%).

The most important choice factors: price, product quality and vehicle characteristics

The first three factors that determine the choice of a new brand are in line with 2024. The price is still in first place (56%), followed by the quality of the product (54%) and the characteristics of the vehicle (49%). Attention to the price and saving on costs remains fundamental for consumers. For 55%of Italian consumers, the nationality of the car manufacturer is not relevant in the choice of the next car, although women show more interest in local brands (30%) than men (19%). On average, only 28% believe that a vehicle is produced locally. In fact, the affinity of the brand for national car manufacturers is stronger in France (37%) and Germany (39%) while weaker in Italy (25%), Spain (23%) and the United Kingdom (19%) , underlining the complexity and diversity of the competitive panorama in global markets.

Purchase and insurance channels: interaction with the seller remains important for more than 8 out of 10 consumers

Live interaction is still important for Italian consumers to create a relationship of trust with the retailer and try the vehicle before purchasing. 83%want to physically interact with sellers, to negotiate the best offer (80%) or to build a relationship with the concessionaire regarding future services (72%). Most consumers also want to interact with the vehicle itself (80%) and take a test tour (70%) before purchase. An increasing share of Italian consumers (44%, +5 percentage points around 2024) is interested in purchasing insurance directly from the manufacturer.

Connectivity option: those for security likes, still doubts about autonomous driving

While one in two Italian still shows some perplexities about autonomous driving vehicles, many are willing to pay an extra for advanced connectivity features that guarantee greater safety. 66% of Italians, against a European average of 58%, are interested in anti -theft tracking services. 63%, compared to a European average of 56%, would pay for extra assistance features. 59% are said to be favorable to automatic vehicle detection systems and pedestrians. Also high the percentage (56%) of those who declare themselves interested in a “smart” insurance plan based on driving habits.

49% of Italians use their car every day, 37% are interested in the “Mobility As a Service” (Maas)

The Italians continue to be fond of their car and 49% among the interviewees say they use it every day – a percentage higher than that of all the countries analyzed in this study. On the other hand, a significant 37% would be willing to give up the ownership of the vehicle and to use Mobility As a Service solutions, a percentage that rises to 42% among young people aged 18 to 34. Among all the countries investigated, Italy is the one in which there is the highest interest in the mobility as a service solutions.