Price first, then running costs and then vehicle safety: in the ranking of criteria taken into consideration when buying a new car, these are the most important elements, while design, performance or brand have a more limited weight. These data emerge with particular clarity from the second report of the Sunrise Observatory, promoted by Most - National Centre for Sustainable Mobility, which offers an integrated reading of the automotive sector, combining statistical analyses with original elaborations and a national survey carried out in collaboration with the Piepoli Institute.
In a car market that in Italia is in a phase of profound transformation, suspended between energy transition, economic constraints and changes in purchasing behaviour, interest in alternative formulas to ownership is growing. Leasing and rental have risen from 2% of past experience to 9% of future intentions. However, strong barriers to electric vehicles remain: high price, lack of infrastructure and fears over autonomy. On the fuels front, the Italia market is still far behind European benchmarks. Hybrid cars dominate with around 51% of new registrations, followed by petrol (24%), diesel (10%) and pure electric, which stops at around 6%. According to the Sunrise Observatory, Italia is about five years behind in the spread of electric cars compared to other European countries.
One of the most innovative elements of the study is the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis, which considers the entire life cycle of the car: purchase, depreciation, fuel or energy, maintenance, insurance and taxes. The analysis - based on hundreds of combinations of vehicle type, usage, charging systems and incentives - shows that there is no one technology that is always cheaper. Combustion or hybrid cars are more profitable for low mileage and short use, while electric cars become competitive with high mileage and home charging possibilities. In many cases, the overall cost between different technologies is similar and strongly influenced by external factors such as incentives and energy costs.
