Italy’s regions decide fate of older diesel vehicles
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From October 1st, four cities in the Lombardy region of Italy will restrict circulation for diesel vehicles registered to the Euro 5 standard, impacting over 200,000 vehicles. This change stems from a national decree intended to improve air quality, which initially planned a ban in 2025 but was delayed to 2025 and adjusted the population threshold for affected cities to 100,000 residents.
Other regions, Piedmont, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna, are responding differently to the national directive.
Piedmont has already avoided the ban by investing over 43 million euros in alternatives like incentives for HVO biofuels, car sharing, and cycling infrastructure. Officials there argued that blocking over 300,000 vehicles, including 40,000 work vehicles, would unfairly burden lower-income families. Veneto is pursuing a similar approach, proposing to suspend the ban through measures like anticipating funding for vehicles converted to run on both diesel and gas, and encouraging public employees to work remotely on days with poor air quality.
Emilia-Romagna is considering extending an existing system that limits vehicle mileage in exchange for a temporary exemption from restrictions, and also evaluating HVO fuel. If the region fails to reach an agreement, the ban will apply in eight cities. Lombardy currently lacks a comprehensive alternative plan and appears set to implement the ban in Milan, Monza, Brescia, and Bergamo, restricting diesel Euro 5 vehicles between 7:30 AM and 7:30 PM on weekdays.
