Unsustainable mobility: Italy is the European country with the most cars per inhabitant

While theEurope accelerates towards electric and local public transportItaly remains at a standstill, clinging to the steering wheel of its beloved cars.

According to the latest Eurostat report on European transport, the Bel Paese holds the sad record of the highest motorisation rate in the European Union, with 694 cars per 1000 inhabitants. A fact that makes us reflect, especially in a historical moment in which environmental sustainability and the reduction of polluting emissions are, finally, at the center of the global debate. They follow closely Luxembourg (675), Cyprus (and 670), Finland (664 cars per thousand inhabitants) and theEstonia (630 cars per thousand inhabitants). The states that make less use of the car are instead Latvia (418 cars per thousand inhabitants), Romania (425) e Hungary (435)

On the electric mobility front, while much of Europe is pushing the accelerator of the ecological transition, with countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Finland which record electric vehicle registration rates above 30%, Italy is struggling, remaining below the 5% threshold. A worrying delay that risks relegating our country to the margins of an epochal, yet necessary, revolution in the mobility sector.

But what is hidden behind our “passion” for four wheels? The reasons are many and have their roots in a series of historical, cultural and social factors.

First of all, the economic boom after the Second World War led to a widespread diffusion ofcar, symbol of well-being and individual freedom. A cultural heritage that still influences the mobility choices of Italians today.

Furthermore, the lack of efficient infrastructure and poor diffusion of public transportespecially in peripheral areas and provincial cities, push many citizens to prefer private cars for their travel.

To this we add one certain resistance to change and a distrust towards new technologiessuch as electric, held back above all by still high prices and, partly, by the lack of a widespread network of charging points which is however making notable progress.

However, the Italian record in motorisation rate cannot be ignored. The environmental consequences of such a large and polluting car fleet are evident: increase in CO2 emissions, worsening of air quality, traffic congestion in urban areas.

Investments in local public transport, incentives for the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles, development of charging infrastructure, promotion of shared and sustainable mobility: these are just some of the actions that can help reverse the trend. Only in this way will Italy be able to abandon the unenviable record of “queen of cars” and move towards a more sustainable and human-scale future.