EXPLAINED: How you could save up to €4000 on a new electric scooter in Italy

Italy’s famed ‘ecobonus’ is officially back and so are a number of generous financial incentives for those looking to purchase greener motorcycles and scooters. 

The Italian government reopened the window to claim this popular bonus on Wednesday, after months of bureaucratic impasse caused by the early exhaustion of all available funds. 

The motorcycle discount, one of several national measures aimed at reducing CO2 emissions by 2030, proved so popular that the original 10 million euros in funding was used up by the start of summer.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How you can claim Italy’s auto bonus for a new car

The discount scheme has now been refinanced to the tune of 20 million euros. Here’s a look at how this ‘bonus’ works and who can claim it.

How much could you save?

Firstly, incentives only apply to the purchase of electric or non-electric Euro-5 (i.e. with the lowest possible emissions) vehicles falling under the Italian Le category, which broadly includes all types of two-, three- or four-wheel motorcycles. 

Secondly, the size of the discount available through the bonus depends on whether the buyer chooses to replace their old bike with a new eco-friendly one or buys a new vehicle from scratch.

Those who trade in their old motorcycle for a new one are entitled to a 40-percent discount, up to a maximum of:

• • 4000 euros (VAT excluded) for the purchase of electric vehicles
  • 2500 euros (VAT excluded) for the purchase of non-electric Euro-5 ones

The vehicle destined for dismantling must:

• • have been owned by the buyer or a member of their household for 12 months or longer
  • belong in the Le category as defined by the Italian Codice della Strada (Highway Code)
  • have an environmental rating of Euro 4 or lower

READ ALSO: ‘Expect the unexpected’: What you need to know about driving in Italy

If you cannot include an old vehicle in the deal, you’re entitled to a 30-percent discount, up to a total of 3000 euros (VAT excluded). The discount is only applicable to the purchase of fully electric motorcycles, meaning that it does not apply to non-electric, Euro-5 vehicles.

How do you claim?

Luckily, claiming the bonus is a fairly straightforward process for the customer.

As with previous incentives, it’ll be up to individual dealerships to request the bonus from Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development (MISE) and apply the discounts on all relevant sales.

So all customers need to do is to choose and buy an eligible vehicle and, should the scrapping of an old vehicle be part of the deal, deliver it to the dealership.

Dealerships will arrange the dismantling of old vehicles, and any discounts applied to their sales will be reimbursed by manufacturers (in turn, they receive reimbursement from the Italian government in the form of tax credit).

Those who claim the bonus must maintain ownership of their newly bought vehicle for at least 12 months, a ministerial decree dated April 6th 2022 specifies.

The bonus is officially meant to be available until December 31st 2022. However, the popularity of the incentive, the available funds might be used up well before then, causing the bonus to expire ahead of time.

For further details on Italy’s motorcycle bonus, refer to MISE’s online platform.