The DPCM Automotive — the €1.343 billion package that programmes Italy’s Automotive Fund through 2030 — went from announcement to reality in a matter of months. Signed on 10 June 2026, it was made operational for commercial vehicles by MIMIT director’s decree no. 56604 of 27 July, which opened bookings on the Ecobonus platform on 29 July at 12:00. The outcome: the €40 million set aside for 2026 ran out in about an hour.
For anyone running a fleet, the question has therefore changed: no longer “when can I apply”, but “what does this package actually contain, what has already happened, and what’s left for 2027”. This article sets out the DPCM’s real breakdown, what it means for fleets, and why the lesson from 29 July matters more than the grant itself.
What the DPCM Automotive provides: the real breakdown
The point most headlines missed is that the largest share of the DPCM does not go to direct purchase incentives, but to supporting the industrial supply chain. The breakdown communicated by MIMIT is this:
- Over 70% of the funds (around €940 million) goes to Innovation Agreements, Development Contracts and Mini Development Contracts — research, development and productive investment by automotive supply-chain firms, with a share aimed at component-sector SMEs.
- The remaining ~30% funds sustainable-mobility incentives and fleet renewal. Within that share:
- €180 million for N1 and N2 commercial vehicles for freight-transport SMEs (spread across 2026-2030);
- €90 million for electric motorcycles, scooters and quadricycles (stated start date 1 January 2027);
- €68 million for home charging infrastructure;
- €50 million for social leasing aimed at private individuals (ISEE income below €30,000);
- €20 million for LPG/CNG retrofit (the 2026-2030 total; the 2026 tranche is worth €4 million).
One detail that had weighed on the timing: the initial budget was higher, but €251 million had been temporarily diverted to cover the fuel-price decree and support for road haulage, then restored in the summer of 2026.
For a fleet, the relevant line item remains just one: the €180 million for N1 and N2. This DPCM contains no incentives for buying private electric cars — a deliberate government choice, shifting the emphasis “from market subsidies to support for business investment”.
The €180 million for commercial vehicles: what happened
The commercial-vehicle measure was implemented by MIMIT director’s decree no. 56604 of 27 July and disbursed through the Ecobonus platform run by Invitalia. Here’s the misunderstanding to clear up: the “Commercial Vehicle Ecobonus” and the “€180 million of the DPCM” are not two different things — they are the same measure. The press told them as separate tracks, but the DPCM funds for N1/N2 vehicles went through the Ecobonus portal itself.
The beneficiaries are freight-transport SMEs — own-account or for-hire — for vehicles in categories:
- N1: maximum mass up to 3.5 tonnes (the vans and light commercials typical of deliveries, urban logistics, services);
- N2: mass above 3.5 and up to 12 tonnes.
The 2026 tranche was worth €40 million (€16 million of it reserved for electric and hydrogen), with grants of up to €20,000 for the heaviest, cleanest vehicles with scrapping. Opened at 12:00 on 29 July, it ran out in about an hour: a click-day in the most literal sense, where only those with the order already set up and the dealer lined up to book made it through.
The measure doesn’t end there, though. The €180 million is programmed through 2030: after the €40 million for 2026 come roughly €40 million for 2027, the same for 2028 and 2029, and €20 million for 2030, always with 40% reserved for electric and hydrogen. The next real window — absent a 2026 refinancing, which so far hasn’t been announced — is the 2027 tranche.
Not just N1/N2: the LPG/CNG retrofit
The same 29 July window also opened the LPG/CNG retrofit measure — not to be confused with electric retrofit, which remains governed by a separate framework and isn’t part of this DPCM. A 2026 budget of €4 million (€20 million total through 2030), with a grant of €400 for an LPG system and €800 for CNG, extended to business vehicles and to vehicles up to Euro 3. It’s a limited-fund channel, but for anyone weighing the conversion of an existing vehicle it’s still active: check the remaining capacity on the portal.
What to do now (with the 2026 window closed)
The mistake to avoid is no longer “waiting too long”: it’s assuming that fleet renewal depends on the grant. 29 July proved the opposite — anyone who wasn’t already ready that morning was left out regardless. Three useful things to do now, with an eye on the 2027 tranche and any first-come call:
- Take a snapshot of the fleet: age, Euro class, annual mileage, rising maintenance costs. This is the data that tells you which vehicles are worth putting forward for replacement, regardless of the final grant amount.
- Distinguish your situation: an urban-delivery micro-enterprise and a structured freight-transport SME don’t necessarily access the same measures. Besides the 2027 commercial tranche, still active today are Nuova Sabatini on financing and regional calls; the PNRR channel for micro-enterprises, by contrast, closed on 30 June. We’ve sorted out the different measures in the practical guide to commercial vehicle incentives 2026.
- Think in terms of running cost, not discounted price: an incentive lowers the purchase price, but the real reckoning is on total cost of ownership (TCO) over the vehicle’s 7-10 year life. That’s where you decide whether the replacement is genuinely worth it — and it’s the only lever you truly control, whereas a first-come grant is not.
The bottom line
The DPCM Automotive is good news for anyone running a commercial fleet, but it has to be read for what it is: €180 million dedicated to renewing SME N1/N2 vehicles, inside a package aimed above all at the industrial supply chain, whose 2026 tranche (€40 million) ran out in an hour on 29 July. The next window is 2027.
For fleet managers, the useful work doesn’t depend on the call’s calendar: having your fleet data in order — age, real costs, mileage — is what lets you turn an incentive, when there is one and if you get it, into a rational renewal decision rather than a scramble at the window. A fleet tracking and management platform is exactly for this: making the real per-vehicle costs visible, so the choice of what to replace rests on numbers, not gut feeling.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2026 DPCM Automotive for commercial vehicles still open?
No. The 2026 tranche (€40 million) opened on 29 July 2026 on the Ecobonus platform and ran out in about an hour. No refinancing has been announced for 2026. The measure is programmed through 2030, though: the next window is the 2027 tranche (around €40 million), whose opening date will depend on the relevant director’s decree.
How much was the grant for a van?
Up to €20,000 for the heaviest, cleanest vehicles with scrapping, with amounts scaled by weight class and fuel type. The €40 million for 2026 was allocated first-come and ran out in an hour: the same criteria will likely apply to later tranches, to be checked against the decree in force.
Does the DPCM include incentives for private electric cars?
No. This DPCM allocates no funds for buying private electric cars. The items for citizens cover social leasing (ISEE below €30,000), motorcycles/scooters/quadricycles and home charging — measures still to open. For businesses, the item is the renewal of N1/N2 commercial vehicles.
I missed the 2026 window: which incentives are still active now?
On the commercial-vehicle side, still available today are Nuova Sabatini (which cuts the interest on financing, window open), the LPG/CNG retrofit with limited funds, and various regional calls. The next window for the commercial Ecobonus is the 2027 tranche. We cover it in the guide to commercial vehicle incentives 2026.
Official sources: MIMIT — Ecobonus for low-emission commercial vehicles and LPG/CNG retrofit now open · MIMIT — Ecobonus automotive · ANSA — Commercial vehicle funds run out immediately (29/07/2026). Amounts and fund availability change with each tranche: always check the decree in force on the official portal before buying.