After the decision made by the Council of Ministers on September 16, which provides for the elimination of the car tax for cars with power up to 80 kW and for all motorcycles, it becomes important to know how to check the power of your vehicle.
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The data needed to understand if the car falls within the new threshold is easily found in the circulation documents. Therefore, there is no need to rely on the power indicated in advertisements or the commercial characteristics of the model: the official reference is the one reported on the registration certificate, the traditional car booklet, or on the Single Circulation and Ownership Document.
Where to read the car power on the booklet
To find the data you need to consult the front part of the registration certificate. In the section dedicated to the technical characteristics of the vehicle, the engine power is indicated under the heading P.2.
It is precisely the number reported next to this abbreviation that must be compared with the 80 kW limit.
If the indicated value is equal to or less than the expected threshold, the vehicle falls within the parameter established by the provision.
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How many horsepower are 80 kW?
Those who know their car mainly through the power expressed in horsepower (HP) can make an indicative conversion.
One kilowatt is equivalent to about 1.36 horsepower. Consequently, 80 kW correspond to just under 109 HP.
The horsepower value can be useful to have an immediate indication of the car’s power, but to officially verify compliance with the limit it is still advisable to use the data reported under the heading P.2 of the booklet.
For which cars the tax will not be paid
The specialized site Motor1.com has published a first list of cars that will not pay the tax.
- Fiat Panda/Pandina – mild hybrid 1.0 about ~70 HP (51-52 kW)
- Fiat 500 – thermal and mild hybrid versions, almost all under 80 kW
- Lancia Ypsilon – hybrid 1.2 around 51 kW; Hybrid 110 HP version with 74 kW engine
- Dacia Sandero / Stepway – SCe 65 versions (~48 kW), TCe 67 (67 kW in the cited data), TCe 90 (~66 kW), TCe 100/ECO-G 100 (~74 kW);
- Renault Clio – SCe 65 (49 kW)
- Citroën C3 – PureTech 83 (83 HP), PureTech 100 (~74 kW), Hybrid 110 (base thermal power ~74 kW, combined system at the limit)
- Peugeot 208 – PureTech 75 (~55 kW) and PureTech 100 (~74 kW)
- Opel Corsa – entry-level version, typically under 80 kW
- Volkswagen Polo – 1.0 base under 80 kW;
- Skoda Fabia – 80 HP and 95 HP versions, both below the threshold
- Seat Ibiza – entry-level version under 80 kW
- Hyundai i20 – entry-level version under 80 kW
- Kia Picanto – typically under 80 kW
- Toyota Yaris – the full hybrids of 116 HP (~85 kW system) are at the limit or slightly above; some previous versions however fall within the limits
- Suzuki Swift – Hybrid in engine versions under 80 kW
