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Ice Age?

They are called ice ages: they were long and were repeated over time. But they have not led to a final catastrophe indeed, in some respects, during these periods, the earth regenerated and plants and animals have adapted and evolved to survive. Certainly someone has been on the road, but life is not over. And now for the automotive gas sector an ice age is approaching. The overall demand for new gas cars is stopped at low levels, requests for aftermarket transformation have never been so down in the last 10 years, there are no government incentives and the prospects are depressing for the immediate. This is not pessimism, and we do not want to cry for pity, but the reality is plain for all operators.

Add to this the serious economic and political crisis that is going through Italy and Europe, with the new technical government that faced with problems of any kind seems, at least for now, ignore every instance of the gas sector.

Hopefully past the first phase of emergency we return to look realistically and concretely about what lead to the whole economy, support the use of automotive gas in Italy and Europe. When the sector has asked for and received incentives has started a virtuous cycle that has left in the pockets of users money for other goods: the saving obtained by using the gas as a fuel is not burned: the money has enabled the demand for other goods.

No point in hiding that the target to which gas is aimed is a middle-class consumer, not rich and very careful not to spend money, but which, however, spends on basic necessities and mortgages. Considering that the state has retained, with the various tax deductions, from workshops, industries and traders in the industry the same money spent on incentives, it is clear that the assessments we have to do are macroeconomic and structural: it is simplistic to say "no money" for incentives. It has been estimated that with just 25-30 million (an incentive of € 350 would be enough) about 80,000 kits could be installed in after market. You do not need a degree from Bocconi University to calculate that the VAT of 80,000 installations could be enough to cover almost the entire state contribution representing a real structural intervention for the development. In fact, it would keep alive a wealth sector producing richness and would allow 80,000 people savings for other goods, without mentioning the enormous advantages in terms of health and pollution.

But now no one, for a few months, will make these simple common-sense reasoning and gas sector will drop one, hopefully short, Ice Age. So, guys, get ready to hibernate. This too will eventually end up as well as the market and glacial ages. Get ready and remain well covered, some species will not make it, but after the rain (or ice) is always serene. So, a few gifts under the tree this year but anyway our best wishes for a better 2012.

 Ugo Nazzarro