Charging an electric car in Italy: motorways, payment and tolls
Driving to Italy by electric car? Here is what you need to know about charging on Italian motorways, paying at the charger and paying tolls. Everything comes from official sources, checked on 29/10/2026.
How many chargers are there on Italian motorways?
According to Autostrade per l'Italia, its network had 107 active charging stations on 8 July 2026, on average one every 50 km or so. The plan aims at 168 stations, about one every 30 km (Autostrade per l'Italia press release, 8/7/2026, read on 29/10/2026).
The main operators you will find:
- Free To X (Autostrade per l'Italia group): service areas on the A1, A4, A14, A12 and A10. The network says «up to 400 kW» (Free To X, read on 29/10/2026).
- Autostrada del Brennero on the A22 from the Brenner Pass to Modena: 18 stations with 82 universal charging points. Prices: ultra-fast 0.43 €/kWh, multi-standard 0.38 €/kWh, AC 0.33 €/kWh (A22, read on 29/10/2026).
- Ionity: some stations are inside service areas, for example on the A10 (Ceriale Sud, Rinovo Nord), the A12 (Brugnato Ovest, Versilia Est and Ovest) and the A5 (Les Iles de Brissogne Nord and Sud); others are near motorway exits (Ionity map, read on 29/10/2026).
What does kW mean? A kilowatt measures how much power a charger can deliver: the higher it is, the faster it charges, if your car can take it.
How do you pay at the charger?
- Free To X: credit or debit card, contactless too, with no app and no subscription; every station has a card terminal. You can also use the app or card of a charging service provider (Free To X, read on 29/10/2026).
- A22: the official rEVcharge app, to find, start and pay (A22, read on 29/10/2026).
- Ionity: QR code, charging card or app of a charging service provider, the IONITY app, or Plug & Charge, which starts charging as soon as you plug in if your car supports it (Ionity, read on 29/10/2026).
- EU rule (AFIR): operators must let you charge «ad hoc», without registering or signing a contract; «payment card» means debit and credit cards (European Commission Q&A, read on 29/10/2026).
Which plugs will you find?
For fast DC charging: CCS2 at all the Free To X, A22 and Ionity stations we checked; CHAdeMO only on Free To X «Fast» chargers and on the A22 multi-standard chargers. For AC charging: Type 2; at the A22 AC chargers you need your own cable (sources: Free To X map data, A22 page, Ionity map, read on 29/10/2026).
Paying motorway tolls in Italy
On the Autostrade per l'Italia network, at the toll booth (Autostrade per l'Italia, read on 29/10/2026):
- yellow «T» lanes: Telepass electronic toll only;
- blue lanes: cards: Viacard, Visa, Mastercard, American Express credit cards and debit cards, with no PIN and no fees; all automatic exit lanes have contactless readers;
- white lanes: cash, with an operator or an automatic machine that gives change.
Missed a payment? You can pay online from 24 hours after passing, with no extra charge within 15 days of the notice; after that, extra fees are added (Autostrade per l'Italia, read on 29/10/2026).
Before you stop
- «Est/Ovest» or «Nord/Sud» in a service area name tells you which side of the motorway it is on: check on the official map which one is on your way.
- Charger status (free, busy, out of order) changes all the time: check it in the operator's app before you stop.
Plan your trip
Enter your start, destination and car in the VoltRoute planner: you get charging stops, hotels with chargers and ideas for things to do when you arrive. Free, no sign-up. Plan your trip
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