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

Abstract

Climate change originating from anthropogenic activities is a key challenge of our time, with unsustainable mobility patterns representing one of the main contributors to polluting emissions in the atmosphere. The situation is particularly critical in urban areas, where traditional mobility paradigms based on private mobility and endothermic vehicles lead to road congestion, environmental degradation, health issues, and economic loss. Many policies are being implemented worldwide to support the envisaged transition to cleaner mobility paradigms, like the EU Fit for 55 Package, which is bound to ban sales of gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035. In this context, electrification emerges as the most promising alternative, although battery electric vehicles represent a growing yet small niche, and the market is still expressing many concerns. Through a case study of Italy, a country with a strong automotive tradition and severe air pollution in urban centers, this research investigates consumer attitudes and barriers to electric vehicle adoption, providing crucial insights for future policy and market strategies. This study consists of a survey-based empirical investigation (N = 1533). The findings suggest that skepticism is still strong and requires a joint effort (carmakers, government, media) to frame sound communicational strategies and policies addressing market apprehensions about actual environmental performance, economic convenience, range anxiety, and availability of adequate charging infrastructures.