Italy plans cash stick-and-carrot programme to tempt motorists to go greener
Concerns over climate change are pushing European lawmakers to tighten emissions regulations
Italy plans to offer subsidies of up to €6,000 (R96,000) to buyers of new low-emission vehicles and will increase taxes on new petrol and diesel cars, two government officials said this week. Concerns over climate change are pushing European lawmakers to tighten emissions regulations, but the car industry says that would harm its competitiveness. Italy's lower house budget committee approved an amendment to the 2019 budget introducing a bonus for people who buy a new electric, hybrid or methane gas-powered car from January 1. If approved, the incentives will run until 2021 and total up to €300m a year. Under the same measure, purchases of new cars running on traditional fuels will be subject to a surcharge of up to €3,000 based on the level of carbon emissions produced. "It will become more and more attractive to buy less polluting cars," said infrastructure undersecretary Michele Dell'Orco and industry undersecretary Davide Crippa in a statement. Dell'Orco and Crippa are both membe...
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