Italy EV Charging 2026: Networks, Tariffs + Route Apps

Italian EV charging network in numbers

Italy has rapidly expanded EV infrastructure since 2020. Per Motus-E (Q2 2026):

• Total public charge points: ~84,500 (30 June 2026), up from ~73,000 at end 2025
• Split: majority AC (3-22 kW) with a rising DC/HPC share (~40% of new installs)
• Density highest in northern Italy (Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont); lowest in the south and islands
• National target per PNRR + AFIR: 110,000 public points by 2030 (of which ~12,000 PNRR-financed fast chargers after 2025 revision)

Major operators

• Enel X Way: ~25,000 points, the largest network. Mostly AC + DC mid-speed in cities.
• Plenitude Be Charge (Eni): ~20,000-22,000 points, second-largest; gas-station integration; target 30,000 by end 2026.
• A2A: ~5,000 points, strong in Lombardy and Brescia.
• Free To X (Autostrade per l’Italia): ca. 100 stations with ~580 charge points on autostrade, ~400 of them HPC up to 300 kW.
• Tesla Supercharger: ca. 100 stations with over 1,000 charge points (V3 250 kW and V4 500 kW), open to CCS-compatible non-Tesla vehicles since November 2022.
• Ionity: several dozen stations on A1/A4/A22, up to 350 kW (check ionity.eu map for exact current locations).
• Smaller: Duferco Energia (Liguria/Lombardy), EVway, Repower, individual hotels and businesses.

Roaming compatibility

Italian operators participate in pan-European roaming networks (Hubject, Gireve, Plugsurfing). Most foreign EV charging cards work in Italy with 5-15% roaming surcharge.

Foreign EV cards in Italy

Plugsurfing (Germany-based, pan-EU)

Works on most Italian operators via Hubject roaming. Excellent app, German + English + Italian. Card: €19.

Chargemap (France-based)

750,000+ points across EU. Italy well covered. Pass: €19.99 + per-kWh charge of operator. App in 12 languages.

NewMotion / Shell Recharge

Owned by Shell, large EU network. Works on most Italian operators. App in English, German, Dutch.

Octopus Energy (UK)

Increasingly works in Italy via Octopus Electric Juice Network. Compare prices before charging.

Tesla

Tesla Supercharger network in Italy: ~50 stations, 250 kW. Open to non-Tesla EVs (CCS-compatible) since 2022, often cheaper than Ionity.

Direct bank card

Since EU AFIR regulation (July 2024), all new fast chargers must accept Visa/Mastercard contactless directly. Most Italian fast chargers comply.

Typical Italian prices

Fast DC chargers (autostrade and supermarkets)

Slow AC (cities, hotels, retail)

Hotel charging

Many hotels offer free or low-cost EV charging. Confirm during booking. Some chains (Marriott, Hilton) include charging in stay; smaller hotels charge €5-10 overnight.

Routes for foreign visitors

Milan-Rome (A1): the spine

580 km, the most-driven Italian route. Charging:

• Free To X stations: every ~50 km
• Best stops for 30-min charge: Modena, Florence south, Orvieto, Magliano Sabina
• Total stops: 2-3 for Tesla Model 3 / VW ID.4 / Ioniq 5
• Time: 6h drive + 60-90 min charging = ~7.5h total

Milan-Venice (A4): northern east-west

245 km, easy with one charge.

• Best stop: Brescia or Verona
• Networks: Free To X, Enel X Way, A2A all present
• One stop usually enough for most EVs

Rome-Naples (A1): south

215 km, very fast.

• Best stop: Cassino or Caianello
• One stop sufficient

Genoa-Reggio Calabria (A2 Mediterranean): Italian Riviera + south

900 km along Italy’s west coast. Charger density lower south of Naples; plan carefully.

• Best stops: Genoa, La Spezia, Naples, Salerno, Pizzo Calabro
• Total stops: 5-6 for a mid-range EV
• Consider: train for southern stretch (Naples-Reggio)

Brenner-Verona (A22): from Austria

200 km from Brenner border south to Verona. Charging less dense in Brenner pass area.

• Best stops: Vipiteno/Sterzing, Bolzano, Trento, Rovereto, Verona
• Plan: charge well before Brenner if coming from Austria

Polluted-zone driving (ZTL exemption for EVs)

Most Italian ZTLs exempt fully electric vehicles:

• Milan Area B + Area C: free entry for EVs
• Rome ZTL: EVs typically permitted with registration
• Bologna ZTL: EVs typically permitted
• Florence ZTL: confirm with municipality
• Hybrid plug-in: usually treated as EV if running in electric mode

Always verify before driving in ZTL.

Recommended apps

A Better Routeplanner (ABRP): essential

Plans EV trips with optimal charging stops based on your car’s real-world range and weather. Connects to Tesla/VW/BMW/etc. for actual battery data. Free; premium 4.99 €/month.

Chargemap: best for finding stations

750,000+ points across Europe, including all Italian operators. Filter by speed, connector, operator, user rating. Pre-download for offline use.

Plugsurfing: EU roaming card

Card + app for pan-EU charging. Works on most Italian operators.

Operator apps (use the one matching your card)

• Enel X Way app
• Free To X app
• Be Charge app
• Tesla Supercharger via Tesla app
• Ionity app

Government data

MIMIT publishes all 62,000 Italian chargers at carburanti.mise.gov.it (filterable for EV). Updated daily.

Connectors

Type 2 (Mennekes)

Standard European AC. Always bring your own cable: most Italian public AC chargers don’t have one. 7m cable recommended.

CCS Combo

Standard for DC fast charging. Cable always integrated at the charger; no need to bring.

CHAdeMO

Less common in Italy. Only required for older Nissan Leaf, Toyota Mirai. Decreasing.

Adapters

• CEE 16A → Type 2: for campsites with industrial sockets
• Schuko → Type 2: for emergency home-style charging (slow, 2.3 kW)

Highway charging on Italian autostrade

Since 2023, Italian autostrade have been fully equipped with fast chargers. Autostrade per l’Italia (concession holder of the A1, A9, A14) together with partners (Enel X Way, Free To X, IONITY) operates more than 500 high-power charging (HPC) stations.

Typical equipment per service area:

• 4-8 charging points
• 150 kW or 300 kW HPC
• CCS connector (standard), some also CHAdeMO
• Prices: 0.58 to €0.89 per kWh (depending on provider)

Larger HPC hubs on the Brenner route:

• Brenner Pass (A22): 6 charging points, IONITY
• Fiorenzuola (A1 Emilia): 8 charging points
• Firenze Nord (A1 Tuscany): 12 charging points
• Roma Est (A1 Lazio): 10 charging points, IONITY

For foreign drivers: most European charging cards (ADAC, EnBW mobility+, IONITY card, ChargePoint) work at Italian autostrade chargers. Roaming costs are typically 8-12 cents per kWh above the home tariff. Enel X Way has its own app that is recommended for spontaneous charging.

Hotels with EV charging

For foreign visitors driving an EV, staying at a hotel with a charging point is the easiest approach: charge overnight to 100 percent, start fresh in the morning.

Where to search:

• Booking.com filter ‘EV charger’: about 1,400 Italian hotels
• ChargeMap filter ‘Hotel’: over 900 hotels with charging
• Better Route Planner: shows hotels along your planned route with charging infrastructure

Chains with guaranteed charging:

• Best Western Italy: most properties have 22 kW chargers
• Motel One: newer properties have Tesla Destination Chargers and Type 2 sockets
• Novotel and Ibis: about 45 percent of locations have chargers
• Rocco Forte Hotels (luxury): all Italian properties (Rome, Florence, Milan, Palermo, Sicily, Puglia) include destination-charger equipment; full list on roccofortehotels.com

Tuscan villas and agriturismi: smaller providers increasingly install their own wallboxes (11 or 22 kW). Ask when booking. Often labelled ‘EV-friendly’ on Airbnb.

Alpine hotels: the Dolomites and Lake Como have many charging options. Ski resort hotels in Cortina, Livigno and Bormio usually have Tesla Destination Chargers. Charging is typically included in the room rate.

Practical tip: on arrival at the hotel, plug in your EV directly at the charging point. Some hotels require card reservation, others offer ad-hoc charging. For multi-night stays: charging to 80 percent is usually enough and saves battery wear.

Practical tips for visitors

• Plan with ABRP before driving: don’t rely on dead reckoning, especially in southern Italy
• Bring your own Type 2 cable: required at most AC stations
• Test your charging card at home before driving to Italy
• Bring backup payment: card + cash + secondary EV card
• Charge in supermarkets when shopping; combines errands
• Use hotel charging overnight when possible
• Tesla Supercharger is good value if your car is CCS-compatible
• Plan extra time in southern Italy: chargers can be busy at peak summer
• Check ZTL EV exemption for your destination city

EV-specific considerations

Battery range in Italy

Italian temperatures suit EVs well:

• Winter cold reduces range 15-25%, but Italian winters are mild
• Summer heat (south): air-conditioning consumes 10-20% extra
• Mountain driving: regenerative braking helps on descents

Roadside breakdown for EVs

ACI Soccorso Stradale (803 116 from Italy / +39 06 49981 from abroad) handles EVs. They can:

• Tow to nearest charger if you ran out
• Provide low-current emergency charge (mobile unit)
• Tow to dealer for repair

Insurance considerations

Some European EV insurances include “battery emptying” coverage (running out of charge). Verify before driving.

EV charging in southern Italy and islands

The south and islands (Sicily, Sardinia) have fewer chargers per km. Plan with care:

Sicily

About 1,200 chargers, concentrated around Palermo, Catania, Messina. Fast charging on A18, A19, A29.

Sardinia

About 700 chargers, concentrated around Cagliari, Sassari. Sparse interior.

Calabria

About 1,500 chargers. A2 motorway covered but slowly developing.

For ferry trips: most ferry companies (Tirrenia, Moby, Grandi Navi Veloci) accept EVs; some offer onboard charging.

Resources

• Avere Italia (national EV association): avere.it
• Open data of Italian chargers: carburanti.mise.gov.it
• Enel X Way: enelxway.com
• Free To X (Autostrade): freetox.com
• Chargemap: chargemap.com
• ABRP: abetterrouteplanner.com
• ACI EV assistance: 803 116 (from Italy) / +39 06 49981 (from abroad)