The Lombardy Regional Council has approved a €6 million investment to help micro, small, and medium-sized businesses in Lombardy renew their vehicle fleet. The objective is to replace polluting vehicles with low-impact vehicles for the transportation of goods and people.
The intervention includes grants for the purchase of vehicles with very low emissions, powered by electricity, hydrogen, or endothermic engines. The purchase of pedal-assisted cargo bicycles for goods transportation will also be funded.
The resources will be allocated based on the type of vehicle power source: grants of up to €8,000 for light commercial vehicles and up to €30,000 for heavy vehicles powered by electricity; up to €5,000 for light commercial vehicles and up to €24,000 for heavy vehicles powered by natural gas or liquefied natural gas (LNG); up to €5,000 for light commercial vehicles and up to €16,000 for heavy vehicles powered by endothermic engines.
Each company can submit up to 4 grant applications for the same number of vehicles owned by the company that will be taken out of service. Companies engaged in the trade/brokering of vehicles will be excluded, and the purchases must involve vehicles first registered in Italy.
The Regional Councilor for Environment and Climate, Giorgio Maione, emphasized the importance of investing in innovation to improve air quality and people’s quality of life. According to Maione, environmental sustainability should not be seen as an ideological imposition, but as a vision that aims to promote progress and community well-being.