Tesla, Fiat, Dacia gain from Italy CO2 incentives

Tesla, Fiat and Dacia were among the biggest winners in Italy in June as overall vehicle sales rose 15 percent to 163,064.

All three brands were helped by government incentives that started in May.

The purchase grant benefits battery-electric vehicles, hybrids as well as fuel-efficient combustion cars with CO2 output of 61 to 135 grams per kilometer under the WLTP testing standard, according to market researcher Dataforce.

The so-called eco bonus lifted BEV sales 118 percent to 13,428; boosted hybrid sales 30 percent to 18,180; and helped sales of gasoline-powered cars such as the market-leading Fiat Panda grow 18 percent to 80,323 last month, Dataforce figures show.

While the June gains were impressive, Dataforce analyst Julian Litzinger pointed out that overall growth of 15 percent "does not seem to be too much, so the market could struggle" when the incentives run out.

Fiat maintained its regular position as market leader because of a 30 percent increase in June sales to 17,502. Sales of the Panda jumped 56 percent to 10,529, according to Dataforce numbers.

Dacia increased sales 51 percent to 11,771 to finish the month as Italy's No. 2-selling brand for the first time since January of this year. Also, in June 2023 the Renault-controlled budget brand finished at No. 5 in Italy sales.

Dacia was boosted by a 69 percent sales rise to 7,625 for the Sandero small hatchback, which finished behind the Panda.

The Sandero is also on track to be Europe's No. 1-selling car in June and for the first half of 2024.

Toyota was also positively affected by the eco bonus, increasing June sales 44 percent to 11,338. Toyota was helped by strong sales gains for the Aygo X minicar (+117 percent) and the C-HR compact SUV (+201 percent).

The hybrid version of the C-HR accounted for 88 percent of the compact SUV's sales in Italy last month, according to Dataforce.

Among Italy's 20 best-selling brands in June, Tesla grew the most, up 185 percent to 4,993. The sale surge pushed Tesla to No. 12 in June compared with a No. 23 finish in the same month last year, according to Dataforce.

The catalyst for the U.S. EV maker's surge was the Model 3. June sales of the midsize sedan rose 225 percent to 3,282.