The road freight sector is widely recognised for its operational efficiency, offering fast, reliable, and cost-effective solutions to its customers, including shippers and freight forwarders.

In today’s evolving economic and regulatory landscape, there are both opportunities and challenges in managing and optimising costs. Total cost of ownership (TCO) serves as a valuable tool for operators and shippers to guide their strategic investments.

This IRU Intelligence Briefing combines a TCO analysis with a CO₂ emissions assessment of different powertrains in Italy across a vehicle’s first life, based on current national conditions.

The briefing also provides a deep-dive into the various national assumptions used for the analysis with the latest country-specific data, as well as efficiency examples to reduce both TCO and CO₂ emissions.

Developed in collaboration with IRU member CONFETRA and national experts, the Italian report covers:

• Country-specific, inflation-adjusted cost calculations for more accurate projections until 2030
• National vehicle prices by powertrain type, along with insurance costs and estimated residual values based on desk research and stakeholder consultations
• Equipment costs (e.g. tyres) and maintenance expenses
• Average annual fuel prices for diesel, AdBlue, HVO, CNG, LNG, electricity (depot and public charging) and hydrogen
• Purchase subsidies per powertrain and vehicle type (T2S3 and R2) in line with the Ministero delle infrastrutture e dei Trasporti
• Registration fees and ownership taxes by powertrain and vehicle type as per the Pubblico Registro Automobilistico and the Imposta provinciale di trascrizione
• Average annual tolling costs
• Well-to-wheel CO₂ emissions assessment across powertrains, factoring in Italy’s electricity sourcing
• Impact of ETS2 regulation on TCO

Who is it for?

• Logistics and fleet planners who want to identify the most cost-effective powertrain for their operations
• Purchasing managers seeking visibility into the real cost of different truck powertrains to guide their procurement decisions
• Consultants looking for expert, sector-specific insights – including methodology and assumptions – to strengthen client recommendations and validate internal scenarios
• Policymakers who need reliable transport data to understand local decarbonisation dynamics and guide national policies

What is it for?

• Choose the right powertrain: Understand total costs in Italy for the first six years of ownership to make informed purchasing decisions
• Compare real-world costs: Evaluate all TCO components in Italy, including fuel, tolls, registration and ownership fees and taxes, vehicle purchase price, usage costs, inflation, and tyres
• Support sustainability goals: Select the most cost-effective fuel options in Italy to reduce emissions and contribute to Scope 3 targets
• Anticipate policy shifts: Factor in national tolls and current and upcoming regulations to understand the six-year cost impact of operating a truck in Italy
• Benchmark operations: Compare your cost and emissions performance against national averages and policy-driven scenarios

Don’t guess. Understand Italy’s cost landscape and how policy shifts are reshaping the economics of every powertrain.

Preview briefing

Full 64-page briefing contents:

• Chap. 1: EU and Italy road freight: the big picture
• Chap. 2: EU and Italy: vehicle and freight activity analysis
• Chap. 3: IRU TCO model and cost assumptions
• Chap. 4: IRU carbon emission factor assumptions
• Chap. 5: IRU TCO and CO₂ analysis results
• Chap. 6: Conclusion
• Appendix A: TCO calculation methodology
• Appendix B: vehicle characteristics