Italy seeks to save its supercars

The Italian government is negotiating to protect its supercar makers from phasing out internal combustion engines. The EU plans to ban the sale of new petrol-engined cars by 2035 and, while Italy supports the move to electrification, it thinks the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini are a special niche.

Italy wants high-end car makers selling limited numbers of vehicles to be exempted from the new rules. Ferrari sold around 9100 cars in 2020 and Lamborghini around 7400. Oliver Zipse, president of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association supports the Italian effort, saying: “For very small manufacturers, who in the bigger picture of overall emissions play almost no role, there are good arguments for considering these exemptions.”

The EU is considering Italy’s plan. It is thought that other EU countries with niche supercar makers could well support the move, while France is also advocating more lenient emissions targets.

Ferrari already makes hybrid models – including the SF90 and new 296 GTB (pictured left) – and will reveal its first full-electric vehicle in 2025. Lamborghini is set to unveil a plug-in hybrid Urus imminently and its first full-electric vehicle will make its debut in 2025.