We have booked a month long trip, mostly through rural northern and central Italy. Though I knew about ZTLs, I just came across low emission zone restrictions. Is it true that the small cars I will rent in Italy will comply with the emission restrictions so that my only concern should be the ZTLs?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16133 posts
Where are you going exactly?
Posted by
OP
SF
72 posts
We start at MXP. with most of our driving in the country but we will make stops in some towns and cities.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16133 posts
Cars in the EU are classified based on their pollution emissions with a number going from Euro 0 to Euro 6. Cars first registered before Dec 31 1992, are Euro 0. Cars registered between Jan 1 1993 to Dec 31 1996 are Euro 1, and so on. Cars first registered after September 2015 are Euro 6 (the least polluting). Cars that are electric or hybrid are classified Euro 6 even if first registered before that date in 2015..
Certain cities prohibit access to older cars (more polluting) up to a certain Euro number. For example during weekdays cars lower than Euro 6 cannot enter in most parts of the city of Florence.
Since you will be renting a car that is almost certainly Euro 6 (less than 8 or 9 years old) you won’t have to worry about those restrictions. ZTL restrictions however will apply to all cars, even the newest electric cars, as to enter those areas you need a permit. Some cities allow electric cars to have those permits also if not resident in the ZTL. However your electric car would still need to be registered by that city and if you travel primarily in rural areas I don’t recommend you rent an electric car as public charging stations in Italy are not at all plentiful outside of urban areas.
Posted by
North Italy
395 posts
Rental cars will comply with emission restrictions.....so yes, just watch out for the ZTLs