The car charging network is growing, but the South and highways remain critical nodes.

Italy's charging network is growing and improving its infrastructure along national roads, as highlighted in the latest report from Motus-E, an association representing electric mobility operators. Charging points on the motorway network have reached 1,159, "with 45% of motorway service areas equipped with infrastructure," or one in two. A total of 67,561 points are installed in Italy.

Motus-E's monitoring, as of June 30, 2025, shows that installed public charging points increased by 10,569 in the 12 months and by 1,569 in the second quarter alone. Of the 1,159 charging points on highways, 49 of which are in the process of being activated, 85% are fast, direct current, and 62% exceed 150 kW of power. "This represents significant growth compared to the 963 points active in June 2024 and 657 in June 2023," Motus-E comments.

"Thanks to the commitment of operators, Italy's charging infrastructure continues to expand, and the situation on highways in particular has improved significantly, allowing electric vehicle travel along the country's main arteries with ever greater peace of mind," emphasizes President Fabio Pressi, who, however, does not hide the significant work still to be done. The Italian charging network has two weaknesses: its widespread coverage, particularly in Southern Italy, and its heavy traffic. Regarding the deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure on highways, "it is essential that tenders for the assignment of charging services on the lagging sections be launched as soon as possible," urges Pressi.

Motus-E director Francesco Naso clarifies: "On Italian highways, we're halfway there, but entire concessions remain uncovered, such as the A24, which only has low-power stations, and the Milan-Serravalle motorway." The association will present a manifesto in September supporting the development of the public charging system, "to focus on and overcome the issues that hinder network expansion in Italy." At the heart of the issue are the high prices at which energy is purchased and the impact of fixed costs, which, given the still limited number of charging stations, become very burdensome.

Italy remains at the bottom of the European rankings for fully electric vehicle penetration, with a 5.2% share of registrations in the first half of the year, up over 27% from 2024, but still about a third of the EU average. If plug-in vehicles are included in the calculation, the share rises to 10.5%, with a 40% growth trend in the first six months, thanks in part to the boost from the new tax on fringe benefit vehicles. The low number of electric vehicles on the road helps maintain a healthy density of charging points relative to the number of vehicles on the road, equivalent to one public charging point for every five electric cars.