Italy wants the E.U. to pause or delay its plan to ban internal-combustion car sales by 2035. The country's far-right government says the plan is 'absurd' amid falling demand. Italy's auto industry will 'collapse' if the plan continues, the government argues, calling into question how prepared Fiat, Maserati and Ferrari are for the electric era.
Italy's home-grown automotive sector has some EV options—the Fiat 500e, the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore, the upcoming Grecale Folgore—but companies like Ferrari, Maserati and Fiat are not widely perceived as EV leaders. They're also facing tough competition in their home markets from Chinese EVs and other E.U. competitors, notably those from Germany. Germany's EV transition has been no walk in the park, either. Volkswagen is in relatively dire straights.