An expense that increasingly weighs on family budgets. The prices of petrol and diesel, now above two euros per litre, and the bans on the circulation of Euro 5 diesels announced by various regions and local administrations pose a question to those who have to change cars: has the time come to switch to hybrid, LPG or electric? And above all, how much can you save? The answer varies based on needs, but one thing is clear: the car market is already changing.
The push towards hybrid and electric: new registrations
According to data from Unrae, the association that represents foreign car manufacturers and monitors the Italian market, over one million new cars were registered in the first eight months of 2026, 8.8% more than in the same period of 2025. Electrified cars were above all driving the growth: registrations of electric cars increased by 69.2%, those of plug-in hybrids by 78.3% and those of non-rechargeable hybrids by 20.7%.
In the same period, however, registrations of cars powered exclusively by petrol (-16.6%) and diesel ones (-26.1%) decreased. LPG also fell, losing 17.9%, despite the sign of recovery recorded in July, when new license plates increased by 6.2% compared to the same month in 2025.
Hybrids now represent 49.3% of new registrations, even though approximately two out of three cars belonging to this category are mild hybrids, models in which the electric motor simply assists the combustion engine and cannot move the car independently. The share of electric cars went from 5.2 to 8%, while that of plug-in hybrids rose from 5.6 to 9.4%. Petrol and diesel instead fell to 19.6 and 6.7% of new license plates respectively, while LPG fell from 9.3 to 7%. A transformation which is also affected by fuel prices.
How much does a car cost net of kilometers (and emissions)
To compare the different offers on the market, we took as a reference the five best-selling models in August for each fuel system – petrol, diesel, hybrid, LPG and electric – trying to calculate both the purchase price and the costs of use, starting from the expense necessary to travel 10 thousand kilometers in a year.
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Let’s start with the petrol models. To take home one of the best-selling cars today you have to spend between 17 thousand and 25 thousand euros. The price of fuel must be added to the purchase price: taking current petrol prices as a reference, to travel 10 thousand kilometres, you will spend between 1,000 and 1,150 euros. To give a better idea of CO₂ emissions we will instead use the comparison with what is emitted every one hundred kilometres, even if the standard used is that of grams per kilometre. In the case of the models considered, they would fluctuate between 11 and 12 kilograms of CO₂ per 100 kilometres.
The situation changes for diesel models, which are disappearing from the market just as the restrictions on the circulation of Euro 5 cars are being discussed. The five best-selling models examined are not small cars, but sedans and SUVs with prices between 35 thousand and 45 thousand euros. Despite the cost of diesel, the relatively low consumption allows you to travel 10 thousand kilometers spending between 900 and 1,160 euros. Emissions are between 11 and 14 kilograms of CO₂ per 100 kilometres, also due to the larger dimensions of the cars considered.
A different story, however, for the LPG market which presents a less marked decline. For a long time, before the advent of electric vehicles, considered as an “ecological” fuel due to the reduced production of particulate matter and the lower emissions of nitrogen oxides and CO2, gas cars are today quite in demand on the used market. To purchase one of the best-selling new models you need to spend between 16,500 and 24 thousand euros. The advantage in refueling costs, however, is considerable: based on the consumption declared by the car manufacturers, traveling 10 thousand kilometers costs between 500 and 700 euros, much less than petrol and diesel models. Emissions, however, depend on the vehicle chosen and vary from a minimum of 10.5 to a maximum of 15 kilograms of CO₂ per 100 kilometres.
Electric and hybrid: when they are most convenient
A separate story is that of the hybrid and electric car market, which is currently booming. Analyzing the five best-selling hybrid models in Italy in August, we discover that three are mild hybrids: cars equipped with a normal combustion engine supported by a small electric motor, which recovers energy during braking and intervenes above all in starting and accelerating. The difference compared to full hybrids, as we will see, is not marginal. The price of the cheapest model examined is around 16 thousand euros, but consumption is in fact comparable to that of a petrol car: to travel 10 thousand kilometres, you need to pay over 1,100 euros, while emissions also remain significant, around 11.3 kilograms of CO₂ per 100 kilometres.
The scenario changes if you choose a full hybrid, in which the electric motor can independently move the car for short distances and work more incisively together with the thermal one. Prices are rising: the two best-selling models in Italy cost between 20 thousand and 29 thousand euros. On the other hand, consumption and emissions are significantly lower than those of an exclusively thermal car. To travel 10 thousand kilometers you would spend around 820 euros, almost 300 euros less than a petrol model. Emissions would instead drop to around 8.6 kilograms of CO₂ per 100 kilometres.
Those who want to buy an electric car must be ready to spend at least 19 thousand euros for one of the (cheaper) models considered, with a declared autonomy of around 260 kilometres. However, if you are looking for autonomy and superior performance, the price can exceed 40 thousand euros. However, spending on energy can be very convenient, especially by charging at home: with a domestic tariff of 0.35 euros per kWh, for some models you would spend less than 450 euros to travel 10 thousand kilometres.
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With public charging stations, however, costs can exceed a thousand euros per year, significantly reducing the advantage compared to thermal models. The result however depends on the consumption of the car and the tariff applied. By using only fast or ultra-fast charging stations, for example, you can end up spending more than 1,400 euros to travel 10 thousand kilometres, net of offers and subscriptions offered by operators, completely nullifying the potential savings.
Maintenance and car insurance, the costs that increase expenses
What is certain is that evaluating the cost of a car considering only the fuel is not correct. One of the inevitable expenses for motorists is, for example, car insurance. As we have already reconstructed in this study, in recent years the average premium has increased almost everywhere and today it is around 423 euros per year. For electric cars the rates can be lower, with savings of up to around 80 euros per year. However, the comparison only concerns mandatory coverage and does not include additional guarantees such as fire, theft or battery coverage.
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Another item to consider is the tax, which for a petrol-powered small car can fluctuate approximately between 150 and 250 euros per year, depending on the power and the region of residence. Electric cars are generally exempt for the first five years: the overall savings can therefore exceed one thousand euros. Some Regions provide benefits even after the fifth year or more extensive exemptions, while for hybrid the benefits and duration change from one territory to another.
The economic advantages of electric do not just concern consumption. The greater simplicity of the mechanics reduces scheduled interventions: no oil changes, spark plugs, timing belts or maintenance of the clutch and exhaust system are needed. According to various estimates, the expense can be 30-40% lower than that of a traditional car, with an indicative saving of between 150 and 400 euros per year. Even hybrids can benefit from less wear of some components: regenerative braking, for example, extends the life of pads and discs. By retaining the combustion engine and related interventions, however, the advantage is generally more limited.
The fundamental variable: the kilometers travelled
There is no one-size-fits-all formula, but some basic guidelines do. Although the purchase price is generally higher, an efficient electric car can allow, over 10 thousand kilometres, energy savings of around 600 euros per year compared to a petrol model, provided it is recharged mainly at home. To this advantage can be added the exemption from road tax, sometimes lower insurance rates and lower maintenance costs, bringing the overall savings to over a thousand euros per year. To recover the higher purchase price, however, two factors above all matter: the number of kilometers traveled and the possibility of accessing home charging.
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As regards hybrids, the most significant savings are obtained with full hybrids, which in our comparison allow you to spend around 300 euros less per year on fuel compared to a petrol model. Furthermore, non-rechargeable hybrids are capable of reducing consumption and CO₂ emissions more significantly, especially in urban use. However, the environmental advantage remains lower than that of an electric one, at least considering the exhaust emissions alone.
Significant savings can also come from LPG: in the comparison carried out, traveling 10 thousand kilometers costs up to around 600 euros less than a petrol car. However, it is necessary to consider generally more expensive maintenance, with an indicative additional expense of 50-150 euros per year. It is also mandatory to replace the LPG tank every ten years, with a cost that can be between 400 and 600 euros.
In the end, therefore, there is no absolute convenient diet. The most economical choice does not only depend on the price displayed at the dealership or at the pump, but on the actual use of the car: kilometers travelled, type of journey, charging possibilities and years for which you intend to keep it. It is on these elements that the real savings are measured.
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