MILAN (ITALPRESS) – The transition to electric in Italy is less backward than some narratives portray. Francesco Calcara, president and Ceo of Hyundai Motor Company Italy, spoke about this in an interview with Claudio Brachino for the TV magazine Italpress Economy.Six months after taking office, Calcara points out, “The first challenge to be faced is the market, especially with regard to the transition to electrification, an issue that the European Commission is also discussing these days: today it is said that the Italian market does not seem ready, but this is not the reality of the facts and there has been a lot of misinformation about this. Electrical products initially arrived not in the right segments for the Italian market, and this has been a big barrier. “The second challenge Calcara dwells on is “branding: we are active in 34 different product sectors. We follow the whole supply chain, from steel production to logistics. The ships that leave from Korea are the largest cargo ships in the world, in sixty years we have become the third largest automotive group in the world, and there is still a lot to tell: today Hyundai is a brand that still has a lot of value in the product and a great build quality, it still has to transfer the concept of progress for humanity to the Italian customer.” For the Italian market this year and next, “the forecast is still a bit stagnant: today there is confusion in the customer’s head, because they do not know what the transition is and what should be bought. “Returning to the topic of electric, according to Calcara, “it is still told in a mischievous way, however, it also has many advantages. A car under 25-30 thousand euros, which has to do 30 km in the city and recharges from 20 to 80 percent in a quarter of an hour, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be the right choice. Italy is no longer lagging behind in terms of charging infrastructure. Today there is not that ubiquity of refueling of diesel or gasoline engines, but we are no longer tail-end, and then there is also the opportunity for private charging. The electric car has much lower operating costs, related not only to refueling but also, for example, to maintenance. “If a brand is attractive and the customer identifies with it, certainly sales opportunities increase, both in the medium and long term. The new generations are changing the world of the automobile, today’s young people are thinking about efficiency and human-machine interaction: in addition, compared to 6-7 years ago, we have technology on board that provides additional safety. “2025 is the year that marks the arrival of the new Hyundai Inster on the Italian market: “We are providing the Italian customer with the right car in the right place,” Calcara explains, -It will arrive right after the summer. Our country needs this kind of car and this is the perfect recipe to make it clear that electric is perfectly accessible and democratic.”
– Italpress Photo –
(ITALPRESS).
