South East · District council
Ashford motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Ashford, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Ashford compares with the South East. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 75,639 +1.0% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 511 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 2,638 3.5% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.8% 171st highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 204 145 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 4.7% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in Ashford?
There were 75,639 licensed cars in Ashford at the end of March 2026, and 92,731 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 26.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 511 for every 1,000 residents, 129th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Ashford
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72,583 | 59,865 |
| 2011 | 73,337 | 60,510 |
| 2012 | 74,169 | 61,251 |
| 2013 | 75,052 | 62,277 |
| 2014 | 76,514 | 63,507 |
| 2015 | 77,562 | 64,478 |
| 2016 | 79,704 | 66,195 |
| 2017 | 81,999 | 67,976 |
| 2018 | 83,255 | 68,993 |
| 2019 | 84,692 | 70,066 |
| 2020 | 85,531 | 70,716 |
| 2021 | 86,640 | 70,960 |
| 2022 | 88,600 | 72,146 |
| 2023 | 89,640 | 72,998 |
| 2024 | 91,090 | 74,224 |
| 2025 | 91,896 | 74,885 |
| 2026 | 92,731 | 75,639 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Licensed vehicles by type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Cars per 1,000 residents
All licensed cars at the end of June, divided by the ONS mid-year population. Company fleets registered locally push this up.
| Year | Ashford | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 515 | 534 | – |
| 2012 | 514 | 535 | – |
| 2013 | 518 | 541 | – |
| 2014 | 519 | 547 | – |
| 2015 | 523 | 551 | 473 |
| 2016 | 529 | 559 | 480 |
| 2017 | 534 | 567 | 488 |
| 2018 | 537 | 570 | 490 |
| 2019 | 540 | 572 | 493 |
| 2020 | 534 | 561 | 489 |
| 2021 | 539 | 564 | 493 |
| 2022 | 534 | 565 | 489 |
| 2023 | 530 | 567 | 489 |
| 2024 | 531 | 570 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Ashford
55.4% of cars in Ashford run on petrol and 30.8% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.9% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.9%, and cars that plug in 5.5%.
Cars by fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Fuel mix over time
Share of licensed cars at the end of March each year.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.4% | 28.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 69.6% | 30.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 67.8% | 31.7% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 66.1% | 33.4% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 64.4% | 35.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 62.6% | 36.7% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 61.1% | 37.9% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 59.8% | 39.1% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 58.7% | 39.9% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2019 | 58.4% | 39.9% | 1.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 58.7% | 39.4% | 1.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 58.3% | 38.9% | 1.7% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| 2022 | 57.8% | 38.0% | 2.5% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| 2023 | 57.2% | 36.9% | 3.3% | 1.3% | 0.9% |
| 2024 | 56.9% | 35.3% | 4.5% | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| 2025 | 56.3% | 33.0% | 6.2% | 2.6% | 1.5% |
| 2026 | 55.4% | 30.8% | 7.9% | 3.5% | 2.0% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Ashford
2,638 battery electric cars were licensed in Ashford at the end of March 2026, 3.5% of all cars, 181st lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,166 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,931.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.8% are battery electric (2,012 cars), 26th lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 23.7% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.7% of its cars overall. There are also 74 battery electric vans.
Battery electric share of licensed cars
End of March each year. Fleet re-registrations can move a single area’s line sharply.
| Year | Ashford | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | 3.0% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.9% | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 2.6% | 5.7% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 3.5% | 8.7% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Ashford
There were 204 public chargers in Ashford on 1 July 2026, 48 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 145 for every 100,000 residents, 171st highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 0.0% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 15.9 privately kept plug-in cars in Ashford (UK 11.9), 179th most of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.
Public chargers
| Date | All public chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 204 | 40 |
| Apr 2026 | 212 | 40 |
| Jul 2026 | 204 | 48 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Ashford | 145 | 34 |
| Kent | 128 | 44 |
| South East | 159 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Ashford has 15 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.4% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.8%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford 010 | 8,209 | 316 | 3.8% | |
| Ashford 006 | 5,924 | 181 | 3.1% | |
| Ashford 012 | 7,244 | 208 | 2.9% | |
| Ashford 001 | 5,628 | 160 | 2.8% | |
| Ashford 003 | 4,203 | 116 | 2.8% | |
| Ashford 016 | 4,710 | 131 | 2.8% | |
| Ashford 002 | 6,730 | 184 | 2.7% | |
| Ashford 014 | 4,712 | 115 | 2.4% | |
| Ashford 011 | 5,435 | 124 | 2.3% | |
| Ashford 009 | 6,625 | 148 | 2.2% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Ashford 007 | 4,883 | 59 | 1.2% | |
| Ashford 005 | 5,457 | 69 | 1.3% | |
| Ashford 008 | 4,561 | 63 | 1.4% | |
| Ashford 015 | 3,345 | 64 | 1.9% | |
| Ashford 013 | 6,113 | 128 | 2.1% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in Ashford
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 248 | 49 |
| 2022 | 258 | 55 |
| 2023 | 307 | 82 |
| 2024 | 261 | 77 |
| 2025 | 256 | 78 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Ashford
Unleaded petrol averages 174.5p a litre across 13 filling stations in Ashford, 2.8p above the UK average. Diesel averages 196.6p, 2.0p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Cb Motors Tenterden 171.9p
- Gulf John Page Trailer Ltd Ashford 171.9p
- Esso Rontec St Michaels Tenterden 171.9p
How Ashford compares
| Ashford | 511 | 3.5% | 145 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | 495 | 3.4% | 128 |
| South East | 496 | 8.7% | 159 |
| England | 437 | 5.8% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 441 | 5.4% | 175 |
Private cars per 1,000 people use the ONS mid-2024 population. Chargers are counted at the latest date; plug-in cars at the end of March 2026.
Councils in Kent
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Sevenoaks | 551 | 4.3% | 95 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartford | 441 | 4.2% | 194 |
| Tonbridge and Malling | 530 | 4.1% | 128 |
| Tunbridge Wells | 515 | 3.8% | 113 |
| Ashford | 511 | 3.5% | 145 |
| Canterbury | 454 | 3.5% | 162 |
| Maidstone | 515 | 3.4% | 83 |
| Gravesham | 461 | 3.0% | 78 |
| Dover | 497 | 2.8% | 137 |
| Swale | 493 | 2.8% | 107 |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 494 | 2.7% | 211 |
| Thanet | 457 | 2.6% | 98 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 92,731 licensed vehicles in Ashford | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 4,296 plug-in vehicles | 15 September 2026 |
| Public chargers | Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport | 1 July 2026 | 121,171 public chargers (UK) | 15 September 2026 |
| Population | Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics | Mid-2024 | 404 areas | 15 September 2026 |
| Neighbourhoods | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales | 15 September 2026 |
- Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Ashford run from the end of 2009.
- Vehicles are counted at the registered keeper’s postcode: for company cars that is the company’s address, not where the car is driven.
- Battery electric and plug-in counts come from table VEH0142; petrol, diesel and hybrid counts from VEH0105. “Other fuels” is VEH0105’s other-fuel count less plug-in cars.
- Charger counts are based on Zapmap data and are official statistics in development. In June 2026 one operator removed about 1,270 private chargers wrongly listed as public, so April and July are not strictly comparable.
- Neighbourhood figures cover England and Wales only; Scottish data zones and Northern Irish super data zones cannot be placed in councils without lookups we do not hold.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.