Milan | 14 November 2025
As Europe’s largest showcase for two-wheeled innovation, EICMA once again went beyond product launches to explore the future of mobility. For the third consecutive year, ANCMA, in cooperation with ACEM, hosted an urban mobility conference, “Rightsizing Urban Mobility: L-category vehicles for the cities of tomorrow”, bringing together policymakers, local administrations, and industry leaders to discuss how these vehicles can help cities cut congestion, reduce emissions, and reclaim space for people.
With 2027 marking a crucial milestone for European cities, the year when many Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are expected to be implemented, the discussion turned to how these frameworks are reshaping urban transport. Setting the scene, Sofia Pechin, urban mobility consultant at TRT Trasporti e Territorio, described a clear paradigm shift from traditional, car-centric planning toward approaches centred on people, accessibility, and functionality to face growing challenges and new regulations within the cities.
Responding to these challenges, the industry highlighted how L-category vehicles can offer immediate and measurable benefits. Antonio Perlot, Secretary General of ACEM, shared the preliminary findings from the Oxford Economics study on the Economic importance of motorcycles to Europe, the full report is expected to be published during the first months of 2026. Across the EU and UK, powered two-wheelers (PTWs) already save commuters an estimated 25.6 million days annually compared to car use. A modest 5% modal shift from cars to PTWs could add 28 million days saved, deliver €3.8 billion in cost savings, and reduce GHG emissions worth €308 million per year, while freeing urban space equivalent to the area of Paris.
Some European cities are already recognising this potential and working to harness it. Practical examples from Barcelona and Milan illustrated how L-category vehicles are becoming part of local mobility strategies. Barcelona’s newly established Motorcycle Observatory, developed with ANESDOR, serves as a permanent public-private platform to design and monitor measures that improve safety, coexistence, and decarbonisation. Demonstrating how collaboration can drive tangible progress. In Milan, where powered two-wheelers already represent a significant share of daily mobility, the city is promoting fleet renewal and incentivising electric PTWs, reinforcing its commitment to cleaner and more efficient urban transport.
Building on these local success stories, the conference’s closing panel featured Frank Hansen, Lead Strategist for Sustainable Mobility at BMW Group; Clément Villet, Director of Land Mobility at Yamaha Motor Europe; Vito Parisi, National Vice President for Public Transport, Urban Traffic, and Mobility at ANCI; Pedro Gomes, Clean Vehicles & Air Quality Cluster Lead at POLIS Network; Sofia Pechin from TRT; and Antonio Perlot from ACEM. The panel emphasised that the path to sustainable urban mobility depends on closer cooperation between cities, industry, and citizens.
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The organisers commented on the constructive spirit of the discussions:
Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said: “There is a clear positive attitude towards the integration of L-category vehicles in urban mobility. What we want to achieve is for policymakers and cities to fully recognise the potential of these vehicles, including them in future SUMPS. This warrants closer cooperation between public authorities and vehicle manufacturers, providing further opportunities for improved urban mobility.”
Mariano Roman, ANCMA President, added: “Confindustria ANCMA will continue its dialogue in the coming months with ANCI and its members to ensure that Italian cities fully acknowledge the role and potential of L-category vehicles within their urban mobility strategies. Initiatives like this one show that EICMA continues to serve as the key platform to address these strategic topics shaping the future of citizens’ mobility.”
Access the recording of the conference here.
