The Automotive Update: Fleet Europe Days and a possible semiconductor crisis
24 October 2025
What are the major themes from the Fleet Europe Days event? Could a new semiconductor crisis be brewing? How long did Italian electric vehicle (EV) incentive funding last? Tom Geggus, editor of Autovista24, discusses the week’s news in The Automotive Update podcast.
In this episode, Autovista24 journalist Tom Hooker discusses his time at one of Europe’s biggest fleet events. Then, as the industry prepares for a potential semiconductor crisis, the importance of Nexperia chips becomes apparent. Finally, understanding the popularity of EV incentives in Italy.
Subscribe to the Autovista24 podcast and listen to previous episodes on Spotify, Apple and Amazon Music.
Important topics for Fleet Europe
Fleet Europe Days took place in Luxembourg this week. It included a thought-leadership conference, exhibitor displays and the opportunity to test drive vehicles.
There were 84 exhibitors over the two-day event, including carmakers, fleet, leasing and rental companies, technology start-ups and giants, EV charging providers and more. Many of these companies were also involved in the conference area, discussing key automotive trends.
Two big topics covered were AI and software. One remarketing presentation focused on vehicle inspections and how the process can be automated with AI to improve processing speed. Another showed how an automated fleet workflow system can be integrated into an auction platform.
Other themes included sustainability and ESG, distribution models and gender diversity. Overall, the conference highlighted how complex the automotive industry is becoming. This makes it crucial for those within the sector to understand it from all angles.
A semiconductor crisis for Europe?
Several carmakers have highlighted concerns with vehicle production due to a disrupted supply of semiconductors from Nexperia.
Volvo, Volkswagen, Honda and Nissan have all discussed the possibility of temporary production pauses, the Guardian has reported. This follows the Dutch government taking control of the Chinese-owned chip company last week.
Hildegard Müller, president of the VDA, recognised Nexperia as a major supplier of semiconductors. These components are used in electronic control units for vehicle electronics systems, alongside other relevant industries.
‘The situation could soon lead to significant production restrictions, or even a stop in production, if the interruption of Nexperia chip deliveries cannot be resolved in the short term,’ she commented.
Italy’s new incentive scheme
This week, the Italian Government launched an incentive scheme to help boost zero-emission mobility in the country.
When scrapping an older internal-combustion vehicle up to the Euro 5 standard, private buyers could receive up to €11,000 towards the purchase of a new electric car. Meanwhile, small businesses were eligible for up to €20,000 off an electric light-commercial vehicle. This scheme was backed by €595 million, with some funds supplied from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
However, the funding lasted just over 24 hours before being exhausted. A total of 55,680,000 vouchers were generated, reserving all of the subsidy funds, according to the ANSA news agency. One reason for this quick depletion could be that applications had to be submitted before the new vehicle was purchased. However, any funds that become available again will be reactivated for new applications.
Editor’s note: article has been updated. According to ANSA, 55,680,000 vouchers were generated, not 55,680 as previously stated.
