Number of electric vehicles in the Italian city of Milan 2018, by type

In 2018, the electric vehicle fleet in Milan counted more than 900 full electric cars and over 360 electric scooters. These figures refer to privately owned vehicles only, without counting carsharing services, which were also very popular in the city. In February 2019, the city introduced a series of gradual bans targeting the most polluting vehicles, intending to ban all diesel vehicles by 2030. Sustainable mobility was a priority for Lombardy’s capital, especially for the purpose improving its air quality.

Tackling air pollution

In 2018, the average concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) considerably exceeded the EU limit of 40 micrograms per cubic meter. Most NO₂ in cities is generated from motor vehicle exhaust, so the transportation sector is a crucial target. There were some positive signals in this respect: in 2018, the number of car registrations went down in 2018 for the first time since 2014. Furthermore, the motorization rate in Milan was among the lowest in the country.

The Italian electric car market is taking off

Overall, the market share of electric cars in Italy increased in recent years, passing from 0.1 percent in 2017 to 0.6 percent in 2019. Despite this positive signal, the use of electric cars is still not as widespread as in other European countries. There are still many barriers that prevent electric cars from becoming more popular, range anxiety and difficulty in finding charging stations being among the most prominent.