The car is the preferred means of transport for Italians, used for almost two thirds of our trips (64.7%). According to the latest ISTAT data, in 2021 the 41.9 million vehicles in Italy traveled a total of approximately 420 billion kilometers. The average distance for a private car is around 10,231 km per yearbut this figure varies based on some factors such as the age of the vehicle, the type of power supply and even the region of residence.
How many kilometers do we travel by car every year
Almost two thirds of our trips (64.7%) take place by car, thus making it the preferred means of transport for Italians. But how much do we drive them, on average?
The most recent ISTAT data (2021) tell us that the 41.9 million vehicles registered in circulation in Italy have traveled almost 420 billion kilometres. Of these, more than 340 billion kilometers (81.2%) were traveled by private cars with an average mileage of 10,231 kilometers per year, and an average occupancy of 1.36 passengers per car.
However, average mileages vary region by region. In particular, ISTAT reports that in Valle d’Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige and Umbria the average mileage is relatively higher, while in Basilicata, Piedmont, Calabria, Sicily and Liguria it drops below 10,000 km/year.
Characteristics of the car: how much does age and type of fuel have an impact
Overall, motor vehicles registered after 2011 represented less than half of the fleet in circulation (48.2%), but were responsible for 58.8% of the vehicle-kilometres made in 2021. On average, the newest cars, i.e. those registered between 2019 and 2021, traveled 13,237 kilometers in the reference year, but motor vehicles aged between two and four years on average, in a year, they travel more road: 13,482 kilometers. However, as age increases, the kilometers traveled progressively decrease: they are 11,388 for vehicles between five and nine years old, they drop to 8,929 for vehicles between 10 and 19 years old and are reduced to 4,578 for those over 20 years old.
In short, we prefer older cars for short local trips, probably because we consider them less efficient and reliable. While newer vehicles, with better performance, lower (or at least more competitive) operating costs and perhaps equipped with technological incentives, we tend to use them more especially on trips out of town.
Regarding the type of fuel, the average annual mileage is greater (13,581 km/year) for those that use fuel systems with a lower environmental impact, such as electric or hybrid vehicles. However, when interpreting this data, it must also be considered that the age of the electric fleet is on average younger than that of other vehicles.
Furthermore, the 2021 data tell us that hybrid and electric vehicles are just over one million units: just over 900 thousand methane cars and 117 thousand electric ones, while the majority of vehicles are still powered by diesel (over 15 million), almost 14 million by petrol and LPG (2.4 million).
Future prospects: how many cars we will have
In 2023 the motorization rate rose to 694 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, confirming itself not only above the European average (571) but also the highest in the entire European Union, even higher than large countries such as Germany (586), France (572) and Spain (541). This growth is widespread across the entire national territory, including large cities whose commitment to reducing private traffic, at least from the point of view of the number of vehicles, does not seem to yield the desired results. In fact, in all cities there is an increase in the rate of motorisation, with the sole exception of Genoa.
According to estimates from the Isfort Audimob Observatory, the further increase in the obsolescence of the car fleet is becoming increasingly worrying: almost 1 in 4 (23%) now has over 20 years of seniority, while it was less than half in 2010.
