The final data on the registrations of industrial vehicles with a total mass of over 3.5 tons in Italy in 2023 confirm predictions of significant growth compared to the previous year. On January 10, 2024, Unrae released data for the year, showing 28,707 registrations, compared to 25,592 in 2022, recording a double-digit percentage increase of 12.2%.
As usual, the majority of registrations are for heavy vehicles, those with a total mass of 16 tons or more: 24,479 units, marking an annual increase of 12.6%. The medium-heavy segment (from 6.01 to 15.99 tons) also performed well: 3,446 units, up by 15.8%. However, the medium-light segment (from 3.51 to 6 tons) fell by 11.1%, reaching 782 registrations. Generally, these vehicles are variants of commercial vehicles with a mass of up to 3.5 tons, which, unlike the latter, require a C-license and offer lower load capacities and dimensions than those in the higher segment.
However, Unrae's data also reveals a negative element that raises concerns for the current year: in December 2023, registrations across all segments plummeted compared to the same month of the previous year. The total figure for vehicles over 3.5 tons is 1,851 registrations, 28.5% less than in December 2022. But the predominant segment (16 tons or more) experienced an even more pronounced decrease of 30.8% (with 1,520 units).
Paolo Starace, President of Unrae Industrial Vehicles Section, explains that “the data recorded in December, together with the ongoing decline in demand for months, suggests a contraction of the market in 2024.” The association welcomes the inclusion of diesel industrial vehicles compatible with HVO biofuel in the increased contribution for the so-called Sabatini Green law. “However, we express our regret for not having seized the opportunity to parameterize the increase in motorway tariffs in 2024 based on the emission class, thus starting to effectively introduce the principle of the more you pollute, the more you pay,” adds Starace.
The President of Unrae reiterates the request to the Government “for a dedicated fund to support investments in the latest generation of vehicles and infrastructure, in order to modernize the circulating fleet and support the competitiveness of Italian road transport.” A detailed analysis of the industrial vehicle market trends in 2023 and Unrae's requests can be found in the episode of the videocast K44 Risponde, where Michele Latorre interviews Paolo Starace (in Italian).
