Cars, growing rental and private individuals choosing an alternative to ownership

A market that is still growing, 'strong' with one and a half million vehicles in the fleet, 34% of 2025 registrations - equal to 526,500 registrations, 11% more than in 2024 - and a turnover of 17 billion. These are the figures from the Annual Report of Aniasa, the Confindustria association of rental companies. The first four months of the year, however, record some slowdown in registrations - minus 4.3% for Long Term - and significant growth by Chinese brands, which are gaining a 20% share of the sector in Short Term Rental, for example.

The numbers therefore remain good, but the potential of this sector, especially in terms of its ability to encourage a gradual renewal of the circulating fleet, is held back by a taxation system that is misaligned with the main European markets. The dialogue with the executive on this point, on the possibility of easing regulations with the tax delegation, has been going on for months without results. Now the work site is reopening in view of the summer, and this is one of the points in the report by Aniasa president Italo Folonari, at his first assembly after his appointment.

There are, however, two unknown factors weighing on the sector. The first is precisely the failure to align with the tax rules of the main European markets - in Germany, for example, rentals account for 50 per cent of all registrations - and the second is concern over the possible transposition of mandatory European electricity quotas for company fleets and rental companies. For Aniasa, these measures are too rigid, 'which risk slowing down investment and further slowing down the replacement of the car fleet, with effects that run counter to the objectives of ecological transition'.

The move was preceded by the Italian government's move on the fringe benefit, which has in fact made the rental of petrol, diesel or hybrid cars economically unviable. The benefit for companies and users is in fact only retained for full-electric or Plug-in Hibryd models.

Setting the most political timeframe is Aniasa chairman Italo Folonari: "The fiscal context," he clarifies, "continues to penalise the sector's corporate customers, holding back development and investment. We hope that in 2026 action will finally be taken on company car taxation, the appointment being the implementation of the enabling act for tax reform, which envisages precisely the revision of partially deductible costs for companies". Secondly, he adds, 'we hope that the preferential 10% VAT rate can be adopted for short-term vehicle rentals for tourism purposes and for car sharing services'.