In 2023, 710,552 long-term rental contracts for cars and off-road vehicles (over 30 days) were stipulated in Italy, up 15.0% on the previous year. The data processed by Unrae, in collaboration with the MIT, assigns a share of 87.5% to the contracts stipulated by companies for 621,626 contracts (+18.0% compared to 2022), and the remaining 12.5% for 88,926 contracts for private users (-2.4% on 2022). Among the companies, the largest share is the prerogative of non-automotive companies (which typically rent cars for employees) with 75.0% of contracts and a growth of 27% over 2022. Short-term rental companies (Nbt) follow with a share of 5.8% annual increase of 16.2%; Dealers and Manufacturers rise to 4.1%, up 19.7% on 2022; finally, companies whose corporate purpose is long-term rental (NLT) with a share of 2.6%, more than 5 points less than in 2022 (-60.4%). The average duration of contracts increased from 22 months in 2022 to 23 in 2023, with growth for all corporate users and a decrease from 27 to 25 months for private users.
Diesel is still firmly in first place in many channels: in non-automotive companies it holds a share of 56.4%, among private users 33.5% and in NLT 30.6%. The petrol engine occupies first place in short-term rental (41.2% share), while the first position among Dealers and Manufacturers goes to hybrids with 32.8% share, in second place among private individuals. Electric cars are losing share compared to 2022 among private individuals, short-term rentals and dealers and manufacturers, while Plug-ins decrease among private individuals and long-term rentals.
Bodywork preferences still favor C-segment SUVs, with a total share of 25%; first among Dealers and Manufacturers with 27% of their contracts, but also among non-automotive companies with 26.0% and among private individuals with 25.6%. SUVs too, but in the B segment, occupy second place in preferences at 16.6%, especially preferred by NBT companies with 32.4% of their rental contracts. Third place, at 13.0%, is occupied by traditional station wagons, thanks above all to the favor granted by non-automotive companies, where they represent 15.7% of contracts. The classic B-segment sedans follow at 11.5%, emerging above all in the NBT and NLT, with a share of 23.3% and 23.0% respectively.
On the geographical front, Lombardy is in first place among the regions for the number of long-term rental contracts with 33.7% of contracts signed in the year. Followed by Lazio with less than half (13.9%), Piedmont (9.5%) and Emilia-Romagna (8.4%). Lombardy also has the highest share of contracts made by non-automotive companies (87.1%), a typology which is also the majority in all other regions, with the exception of Trentino Alto Adige where contracts by Nbt companies prevail with 60 ,9%. The contracts of private users see Molise prevailing among all the regions with 32.2% share and Calabria with 31.5%.