2021 of the Italian bus world ended with a plus sign. According to Anfia - the National Association of the Automobile Industry Industry - the tricolor bus market recorded a + 12.7% compared to 2020, a year particularly marked by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Italian bus market: all Anfia data

The bus market with GTW exceeding 3,500 kg totaled 387 new units in December, an increase of 40.7% compared to December 2020. In the twelfth month of 2021, three out of four sectors are growing: triple-digit buses and tourist midibuses (+ 116.7%) and school buses (+ 154.5%); double-digit LPT buses (+ 36.3%, with intercity buses up 90%). They close the month with a variation on the other hand, minibuses were negative (-7%).

In the whole of 2021, 3,495 bus booklets were issued (+ 11.1% compared to 2020). Minibuses are still decreasing (-10.4%), while buses used for public transport (+ 6.8%, albeit with a 3.4% decline for intercity buses), tourist buses and midibuses close positively in 2021 (+ 12.8%) and school buses (+ 65.8%).

According to power, the market share of gas-powered buses is 8.2% in 2021 (compared to 10.7% in January-December 2020), while electric and diesel / electric hybrids account for 11% ( 6.1% in January-December 2020). Finally, at a territorial level, in 2021 registrations are still decreasing in the North-West regions (-16.4%), while they continue to grow double-digit in all the other areas: South and islands + 20.8% , North-East + 17.5% and Center + 15.1%.

With regard to interventions in favor of the reconversion of the industrial sector, the decree of the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility was published a few days ago to implement the measure envisaged by the PNRR to support the green and digital transformation of the bus industry, order to produce electric and connected vehicles.

Of the 300 million euros foreseen by the PNRR, 250 million are allocated for new projects and 50 million for existing projects. At least 40% of the resources are destined to finance projects to be carried out in the regions of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily. The resources will go to support the implementation of approximately 45 industrial transformation projects for the development of the production chain of electric and connected buses, excluding hybrid buses, through the instrument of Development Contracts. Industrial and technological interventions for the development of the bus production chain must be completed in time to guarantee the activation of the production of buses and / or related components by 30 June 2026. The methods of use and disbursement of funds will be established with a subsequent provision of the Minister of economic development.

Giovanni De Filippis, President of the Bus Section of Anfia commented: «The market in 2021 closes with a recovery compared to 2020, however remaining far from the pre-crisis levels due to persistent difficulties in medium and long distances and despite the planned financing to support the ecological transition in LPT. We positively note an acceleration of the actions necessary to make the allocated funds available even if it is still early to be able to assess the effects on demand in the current year and on the speed of renewal of fleets with a view to ecological transition, increasingly necessary after years of seen a further aging of the bus fleet ".