10 March 2025
A large fall in the number of petrol and diesel registrations caused the Italian new-car market to decline again in February. This was despite a strong increase in electrified deliveries. Autovista24 journalist Tom Hooker assesses the figures.
New-car volumes in Italy fell by 6.3% last month, with 137,983 registrations. This equated to a loss of 9,219 units year on year, according to the latest data from industry body ANFIA. Yet, February represented the market’s highest registration total in the country since June 2024.
‘The overall drop in volumes of 6.3% compared to February 2024 is a heavy reduction that takes us even further away from the sales of 2019. It also shows that the effects of the crisis triggered by COVID-19 and ongoing conflicts have not yet been completely overcome,’ commented Marco Pasquetti, Autovista Group’s head of valuations for Italy.
February marked the seventh consecutive month of new-car delivery declines. This follows a similar trend seen in some of the other big five European markets. In February, France suffered its ninth registration drop in 10 months. Meanwhile, volumes in the UK and Germany fell for their fifth month in succession.
In the year to date, deliveries in Italy decreased by 6.1%, with 271,694 units. This represented a gap of 17,527 registrations compared to the first two months of 2024.
Petrol registrations plummet
Petrol volumes slumped 20.9% in February, with 36,374 deliveries. This equated to a loss of 9,591 units against 12 months prior, the biggest year-on-year unit difference of any powertrain in February. Excluding petrol from the market’s overall figure, it would have grown by 0.4%.
This was the fuel type’s seventh monthly decline in a row. Despite this, the total was petrol’s highest delivery figure since June. It took a 26.4% market share in February, down by 4.8 percentage points (pp) compared to one year ago.
Across the first two months of 2025, petrol has dropped 19% compared to 2024, recording 72,365 registrations. Removing the powertrain from the overall figure, the market would have fallen by just 0.3%. It captured 26.6% of total deliveries, down from 32.2%.
Diesel’s unstoppable decline
Diesel registrations decreased by 38.9% last month, with 13,705 units. It was the worst performing powertrain in February in terms of percentage decline. The month completed a full year of double-digit drops for the fuel type. Diesel models accounted for 9.9% of the market, down 4.7pp from February 2024.
In the year to date, diesel dropped 38.9%, with 26,550 deliveries. Its share of 9.8% is significantly behind its 15% share recorded in the first two months of last year.
Combining petrol and diesel figures, the internal combustion engine (ICE) market slumped 25.8% in February, recording 50,079 registrations. This represented a loss of 17,386 units year on year. Excluding ICE deliveries from the new-car market, it would have improved by 10.2% in February.
The powertrain grouping made up 36.3% of total volumes, a drop of 9.5pp compared to 12 months ago. ICE registrations decreased by 36.4% in the year to date, with 98,915 units. It represented 36.4% of total deliveries, down from its 45.9% market share during the same period in 2024.
BEV registrations surge
Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) volumes surged 38.2% in February, with 6,922 registrations. The technology was the best-performing powertrain in the month in terms of percentage growth.
Its performance also marked the all-electric technology’s biggest volume month since June 2024, when new incentives for new models were exhausted just nine hours after being implemented. The powertrain took a 5% market share, up 1.6pp year on year.
Thanks to a strong improvement in January, BEV deliveries have risen by 70.9% in the first two months of 2025. The technology reached 13,624 registrations, marking an increase of 5,654 units year on year.
It captured 5% of total volumes, an improvement of 2.2pp compared to the same period in 2024. However, this was still 4.8pp behind the next closest powertrain.
PHEVs Italian future
Deliveries of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) grew by 33.3% in February, thanks to 6,131 units. This represented the technology’s biggest monthly percentage increase since September 2023 and its highest delivery total since June 2023.
PHEVs accounted for 4.4% of the new-car market, an improvement compared to its 3.1% share from 12 months ago. In the year to date, registrations for the powertrain rose by 27.6%, with 11,008 units. This gave it a 4.1% share, up 1.1pp year on year. Yet, PHEVs remain the least popular automotive technology in Italy.
The future of the powertrain in the EU has been in discussion over the last couple of months. These conversations have been linked to the European Commission’s strategic dialog and action plan for the automotive industry.
‘To sustain competitiveness and preserve jobs, the EU must embrace a diversified portfolio of sustainable technologies, including, by 2035 and beyond, both plug-in and range-extender hybrid vehicles powered by non-fossil fuels,’ stated ANFIA president Roberto Vavassori.
‘Moreover, if the Commission’s real goal remains decarbonisation, we see no alternative to a progressive plan to renew the current 12.5-year-old, high-emission car fleet. Without this plan, the sector is doomed to disappear under the blows of Chinese competition and transatlantic politics,’ said Vavassori.
EV registrations boom?
Adding together BEV and PHEV figures, electric vehicle (EV) deliveries surged 35.9% last month, thanks to 13,053 units. Plug-ins made up 9.5% of the overall market, up from 6.5% in February 2024.
The powertrain group grew 48.4% across the first two months of 2025, recording 24,632 registrations. This was a gain of 8,035 units year on year. It took a 9.1% share, an improvement of 3.4pp compared to the same period in 2024. Yet, there were market factors that pronounced this strong plug-in increase.
‘Although the market share is still low compared to other main European markets, PHEV and BEV figures look very promising if we make a year-on-year comparison, as we see an increase of more than 30%,’ outlined Pasquetti.
‘However, it is important to remember that throughout the first half of 2024 we were facing an anomaly in Italy, since the government had announced an incentive scheme in December 2023 for the purchase of vehicles with these technologies, which was only implemented in June 2024.
‘This drastically reduced sales, which were significantly lower in the first five months of 2024 compared to the same period of 2023. Until May, BEVs were down 18.7%, while PHEVs dropped 25.7%. Therefore, interest in these powertrains is growing, but considering last year’s context, I think it is still too early to consider it a boom,’ he highlighted.
Hybrids comfortable lead
Volumes of hybrids, made up of both full and mild hybrids, saw deliveries grow by 10.2% in February, with 61,196 units. The technology represented 44.4% of the market last month, a significant improvement compared to its 37.7% share from 12 months previously.
Hybrids are comfortably the best-selling powertrain in Italy, ahead of petrol. This gap between the two powertrains has grown from 6.5pp in February 2024, to 18pp last month. It was also ahead of the ICE market by 8.1pp in February. One year ago, this same gap was reversed, with petrol and diesel models leading hybrids.
Across the first two months of 2024, hybrids have improved by 10.4%, reaching 120,853 registrations. This equated to an increase of 11,374 units year on year. The powertrain took a 44.5% market share, up 6.6pp compared to the same period last year.
Electrified registrations improve
Combining hybrid figures with the EV market, electrified models saw deliveries rise 14% last month, with 74,249 units. The powertrain grouping captured 53.8% of overall registrations, an increase of 9.5% compared to February 2024.
The market sat comfortably ahead of ICE by 17.5pp. One year prior, petrol and diesel led electrified models by 1.5pp.
‘Registration figures show how sterile the ongoing dispute between those who only support electric and those who only support ICE technology is. Almost two-thirds of monthly registrations related to cars with various levels of electrification, from mild-hybrid and full-hybrid to BEVs and PHEVs,’ explained Vavassori.
‘Meanwhile, ICE cars without any electrification account for just over a third, a sign that the process of understanding and acceptance of increasingly electrified vehicles is also taking place in our country. This despite the fact that there remains a considerable gap in terms of volumes, three times below the European average,’ he continued.
This shift in consumer acceptance follows trends seen in Germany in the UK, where all electrified powertrains have grown, while the ICE market has declined. In the year to date, electrified models grew by 15.4% in Italy, recording 145,485 deliveries. This gave it a 53.6% share, up 10pp year on year.
The ‘others’ category, including liquid-petroleum gas and natural gas vehicles, dropped 6.4% last month, with 13,655 registrations. It made up 9.9% of overall volumes, stable from 12 months ago. This was 0.4pp ahead of the EV market.
In the first two months of 2025, the category declined 10.1%, recording 27,294 deliveries. This gave it a 10% market share, down 0.5pp compared to one year ago. Yet, this result placed it 0.2pp ahead of diesel and 0.9pp ahead of plug-ins.
