Abstract Addressing environmental problems requires large-scale transition efforts in the transport sector. Many governments, encouraging sustainable mobility, see alternative fuel vehicles as an important part of a technology portfolio targeted at reducing polluting emissions. However, consumers' adoption of alternative fuel vehicles is hindered by complex technical and socio-economic aspects. The novelty of this study is to explicitly explore the impact of age on consumers' attitudes towards alternative fuel vehicles with an original questionnaire survey, targeting a sample of high-educated Italian consumers. We identify the main concerns related to alternative fuel vehicles and suggest measures to overcome these concerns. A better understanding of the effects of different ages on attitude processes is crucial for designing more effective private and public strategies for alternative fuel vehicles' development across a variety of consumers.