“In the field of electric mobility there are still many myths to dispel that are influencing the attitude of Italians towards fully electric cars. And the data proves it: in Italy only 4% of cars on the road are electric compared to a European average of 14%”. This was stated by the director of Audi Italia, Fabrizio Longo, in an interview with ANSA during which he also addressed other topics such as the opportunity for our country to take advantage of this new market to generate business, especially as regards recovery and regeneration of batteries.
Attention to consumers
“Consumers are very disoriented because they are concerned about the range of an electric vehicle, the recharging network and prices. But we need to know – said Longo – that in terms of autonomy, electric cars are almost equivalent to endothermic engines with distances at full charge that reach and exceed 600 km, therefore we are very close to what could be the capacity to use an internal combustion engine”.
The importance of infrastructure
As for the charging network “in Italy – Longo underlined – we have more than 41,000 columns in the area. Only 4 years ago they were almost half and in 2026 more than 70 thousand are expected. If we relate these numbers to the circulating electric car fleet, we are even in better conditions than other European countries which have a greater number of electric vehicles and a more limited number of columns per electric vehicle. The issue of price – he added – is instead affected by the investment curve that car manufacturers are making for the development of these vehicles. But over the years, with the arrival of unified cell batteries, the cost of cars will presumably drop by 30%. It is obvious – observed Longo – that this technological innovation also in terms of design and development will then be returned in terms of accessibility to consumers as happened in the past, for example with smartphones. As has always happened, technology involves a price reduction and harmonization curve. So it cannot be said that electric cars will cost more. However, it is also necessary for Italy, as many European countries have done, to adopt incentive and tax exemption plans that continue over time”.
New business opportunities
The director of Audi Italia also focused on the business opportunities that electric mobility could bring to the Italian automotive supply chain. “The volume of business from the battery recycling and regeneration market – he said – has been estimated that by 2050 it could generate an induced turnover of more than 600 million euros in Italy. It is an opportunity but one must know how to exploit it and seize the moment before other countries take advantage of it. It is not true that nothing can be recovered from used batteries: think that within the Volkswagen group we are able to recover 95% of the battery components that can be reused”.
The future of Audi
Speaking of the Ingolstadt-based company’s future projects, Longo said that Audi has already started investing 28 billion euros over the next four years for a range renewal that has no equal in the history of the house with the four rings. “Already at the end of 2023 – concluded Longo – we will start talking about products that are not in the range but which complement it. Between now and 2025 we will have 20 new products, 10 of which in fully electric mode to remove any doubt that Audi, but also the entire Volkswagen group, has a clear mission to arrive at sustainable mobility as soon as possible”.
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