Fleet renewal, technology management and economic sustainability: manufacturers and operators at a crossroads?

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which expired on 30 June, deployed billions that allowed Italian public transport operators to largely renew their vehicle fleets: over the last two years, 2026 included, approximately 70% of new urban buses are battery electric. And 'plug-in' technology is also making strong inroads in the Class II segment.

Now, however, the Next Generation EU funding has come to an end: opening the wallet, 'only' the resources of the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Mobility and some complementary funds remain to be played, which are not comparable to the volume of financing enjoyed in recent years. Years that have driven the market, supporting manufacturers and operators — but could they turn out to be a parenthesis? A missed opportunity?

The main challenge, not a new one, is not so much producing and delivering the vehicles, but getting them on the road and, above all, keeping them in service. Do public transport operators have the infrastructure ready and sufficient to ensure the operational continuity of next-generation vehicles? Do they have the expertise to manage these technologies? But more than a matter of staff training and competencies — a real issue in itself — it is a matter of economic sustainability: are there the resources, in times of energy crisis, to keep the cogs well-oiled and keep the wheels of Italian public transport turning?