Index at 66, car still dominant, electric between doubts and hopes. Ludovica Casellati: “A cultural shift is needed, cities must become engines of change.”
Sustainable mobility in Italy finally has its own “thermometer.” It is called the Sustainable Mobility Index and, on debut, it stands at 66 points out of 100. It was presented by the Piepoli Institute during the first day of the ECO Festival of Sustainable Mobility and Smart Cities, which was held in Rome to open European Mobility Week.
The Festival, conceived and organized by Ludovica Casellati, is now in its third edition and is now a privileged laboratory where citizens, businesses, institutions and academia meet to think about people and goods transport, new technologies, urban reforestation and circular economy. “We wanted to create a place of concrete comparison, able to measure the state of the art and push the country toward a greener future,” Casellati explained at the opening.
Cars still queen, but desire for alternatives grows
The research leaves no doubt: the car remains the main means of Italian mobility. 77% use it for frequent travel, 92% at least once a week, and as many as 65% consider themselves “dependent” on it. Only 19% make constant use of public transportation.
Still, 6 in 10 citizens recognize that there are viable alternatives to the car, especially in the North and in large urban centers. In the South and small towns, perceptions change dramatically. Alarmingly, there is little knowledge of the mobility poverty phenomenon: only 13 percent know what it is, even though it is a problem that limits work, study, health and sociality.
Electric vehicles: opportunity held back by cost and infrastructure
2025 will not yet be the year of the electric turnaround. Only 10% of respondents consider buying an electric car in the next 12 months, while 59% are not interested. The main barriers remain price (55%), low range (43%), requiring too much energy (19%) and perceived accident risk due to batteries (17%).
The charging network is another obstacle: just 21 percent of Italians consider it sufficient and easily accessible. This is where the private sector plays a key role. Enel, with more than 23,500 charging points already installed and a 100% renewable network, is accelerating with Fast and Ultra Fast solutions along major routes. Terravision, for its part, has diversified the business with electric scooters and bikes and a strong specialization in battery recycling.
“We cover the whole range of electric micromobility, from scooters to scooters, with a circular approach. The challenge is not only to sell green vehicles, but to create low-impact urban ecosystems,” told Giovanni Fabi, president of Terravision Electric.
Freight and logistics: intermodality convinces Italians
The survey records that85% of Italians link freight transport to pollution and80% to higher prices. As many as 7 in 10 point to intermodal transport (road + rail) as the most sustainable solution.
“The data confirm the goodness of our mission: intermodality is the way forward,” reiterated Marcello Di Caterina, ALIS vice-president, recalling how the government has allocated 157 million euros with the LogIN call for the digitization of logistics. But he also sounded an alarm: “The European ETS system, applied only to continental ports, risks penalizing Italian competitiveness compared to North Africa. Immediate corrective measures are needed.”
Big players are also moving. Amazon has announced fleet electrification and new micromobility hubs in Italian cities as part of its Climate Pledge, which aims for zero net emissions by 2040.
Regional trains: a backbone of daily mobility
57% of Italians use regional trains: 30% with high frequency. Almost half (44%) rate integration with other means positively. Trenitalia Regionale has more than 6,000 daily runs and 180 Link intermodal solutions (bus, ship, bike), transforming travel from “station to station” to “door to door.”
Circular economy and reforestation: more mature citizens
Italians associate the circular economy mainly with recycling (42 percent) and reuse (34 percent).Eighty percent rate separate collection as effective, but more than half report shortcomings on waste prevention and reduction.
“By 2024, we have recycled 76.7 percent of packaging released for consumption. Now we need to link resource management, transportation and urban patterns,” said Simona Fontana, CONAI general manager.
On the green front, urban reforestation garners almost unanimous support: 9 out of 10 Italians consider it essential. Intesa Sanpaolo, a historic partner of the Festival, supports projects such as Daje de Alberi to reforest Rome and engage citizens.
Artificial intelligence and autonomous driving: between fascination and fear
85% of Italians have heard of autonomous driving, but only 1 in 3 would trust getting into it. More optimism about AI: 62% see it as an ally for planning and safety, but fears emerge about privacy (21%), personal safety (51%) and job loss (41%).
“Three out of four travelers are ready to use AI to plan a trip. The digital reputation of destinations will become decisive,” explained Damiano Meola, The Data Appeal Company.
Italy vs. Europe: gap still evident
The Clean Cities Campaign released a study comparing 20 Italian cities with 10 European ones. EU cities offer on average three times as many seat-km, four times as many passenger-km and seven times as extensive urban rail networks. Only Milan holds up to the comparison.
“The National Transportation Fund has more than halved in real terms: without new resources, the gap with Europe will increase,” complained Claudio Magliulo of Clean Cities Campaign.
The bicycle, an investment in health
There are already 60 million bikes and cargo bikes on the road in Europe, avoiding millions of tons of CO₂. Regular use reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 30 percent and generates economic benefits estimated at 119 billion euros annually.
“The bicycle is the simplest and most effective means of healthy and sustainable mobility,” recalled Manuel Marsilio, WBIA Industry & Road Safety Ambassador to the UN.
Mayors on the front lines
The second day featured a discussion between the mayors of Treviso, Matera, Lucca, and Livorno. Mario Conte (Treviso) recounted the success of bicycle routes and urban forestation. Antonio Nicoletti (Matera) announced the start of an electroferro tramway. Mario Pardini (Lucca) focused on bike sharing (150 units in daily use). Luca Salvetti (Livorno) mentioned that the city has developed a plan with 104 actions for the ecological transition.
Eco Awards 2025: awarded realities symbolizing change
The Eco Awards 2025 were presented during the festival. Awarded:
- Tiberio Timperi, journalist, for communication on bicycle mobility.
- Daje de Alberi, for the participatory reforestation of Rome.
- Enel, for concrete contribution to energy transition.
Each awardee received a handmade cartobotanical work by artist Mariangela Tove: glass bells with natural elements and scrapbook pages, symbolizing rebirth and sustainability.
The message coming from the ECO Festival is clear: Italy has made progress, but the finish line is far off. The index at 66 captures a country aware of but still anchored in old habits.
“We can no longer afford to stand still. Sustainable mobility is the key to more livable cities, responsible tourism, and a more competitive economy,” Ludovica Casellati concluded.
