Charging Ahead: A Survey-Based Study of Italian Consumer Readiness for Electric Vehicle Adoption

Lanzini, Pietro · 2024 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3390/urbansci8030142

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Summary

This study investigates Italian consumer readiness for adopting Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), addressing the gap between legislative mandates for electrification and actual market uptake. Motivated by the EU’s “Fit for 55” package, which aims to ban internal combustion engine vehicle sales by 2035, the research explores why BEV adoption remains low in Italy despite its status as a major automotive producer and a region suffering from severe urban air pollution. The paper seeks to identify specific consumer attitudes, barriers, and drivers influencing purchase intentions to inform future policy and industry strategies. The research employs a survey-based empirical design involving a sample of 1,533 Italian consumers, primarily from the northern region, selected via online distribution and snowball sampling. Participants were required to hold a driving license and actively drive cars. The methodology utilized a validated, self-administered questionnaire translated into Italian, which assessed socio-demographic characteristics, driving behaviors, and perceptions of BEV advantages and disadvantages using 5-point scales. Data analysis relied on descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and kurtosis, to evaluate the severity of perceived drawbacks and correlations between variables. The sample was diverse, with an average age of 35.3 years, a slight majority of females (53.4%), and a predominant reliance on gasoline (44.3%) and diesel (38.7%) vehicles, while BEV ownership was negligible at 0.7%. The findings reveal significant skepticism toward both the regulatory approach and the technology itself. Only 34.8% of respondents supported the EU’s legislative ban on combustion engines, indicating a preference for market-based consensus over normative measures. Regarding product-specific barriers, the study identified charging infrastructure availability (mean score of 3.68 on a 5-point scale) and driving range (3.62) as the most critical hindrances to adoption. These were followed closely by purchasing price (3.56), charging time (3.53), and energy prices (3.42). The data suggests that consumers perceive the lack of a widespread, reliable charging network and limited vehicle range as primary obstacles, outweighing concerns about cost or refueling duration. The significance of this study lies in its identification of the disconnect between policy goals and consumer sentiment in a key European market. The results imply that successful electrification requires a joint effort from carmakers, governments, and media to address specific anxieties regarding infrastructure and range, rather than relying solely on legislative pressure. The authors conclude that effective communicational strategies and tangible improvements in charging accessibility are essential to mitigate market apprehensions and facilitate the transition to sustainable urban mobility.

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