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Bath and North East Somerset motoring statistics

How many cars and electric cars are registered in Bath and North East Somerset, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Bath and North East Somerset compares with the South West. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.

Last updated
Records analysed
113,479 licensed vehicles in Bath and North East Somerset
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 93,032 +0.8% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 449 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 3,589 3.9% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.4% 80th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 179 90 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 3.4% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Bath and North East Somerset?

There were 93,032 licensed cars in Bath and North East Somerset at the end of March 2026, and 113,479 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 1.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 449 for every 1,000 residents, 110th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Bath and North East Somerset

Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.

Licensed cars and vehicles in Bath and North East Somerset at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 107,52491,299
2011 102,24386,118
2012 102,03586,066
2013 99,44383,485
2014 100,91684,771
2015 103,42986,716
2016 106,71289,341
2017 109,12491,210
2018 109,94991,863
2019 112,17693,508
2020 113,30494,643
2021 111,31192,106
2022 110,47390,804
2023 110,51090,727
2024 111,95991,997
2025 112,28492,311
2026 113,47993,032

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.

Cars per 1,000 residents at mid-year, Bath and North East Somerset compared
Year Bath and North East SomersetSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 492524–
2012 485527–
2013 471533–
2014 476541–
2015 478546473
2016 481550480
2017 489565488
2018 487569490
2019 493580493
2020 485573489
2021 488575493
2022 466571489
2023 461570489
2024 461571490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Bath and North East Somerset

62.9% of cars in Bath and North East Somerset run on petrol and 24.0% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 36.4% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.8%, and cars that plug in 6.0%.

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.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Bath and North East Somerset, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 69.0%30.6%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 70.8%28.8%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 69.4%30.1%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 68.3%31.1%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 66.7%32.7%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2015 65.3%34.0%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 63.4%35.7%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2017 62.5%36.4%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2018 63.1%35.6%0.9%0.2%0.2%
2019 64.8%33.5%1.0%0.2%0.3%
2020 64.9%32.8%1.3%0.4%0.4%
2021 64.2%32.6%1.7%0.7%0.7%
2022 63.7%31.6%2.3%1.3%0.9%
2023 63.9%30.0%2.9%1.8%1.2%
2024 64.1%28.0%3.9%2.4%1.4%
2025 63.7%26.0%5.4%3.0%1.7%
2026 62.9%24.0%6.8%3.9%2.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Bath and North East Somerset

3,589 battery electric cars were licensed in Bath and North East Somerset at the end of March 2026, 3.9% of all cars, 126th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,539 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,772.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.4% are battery electric (3,058 cars), 3rd highest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 14.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.4% of its cars overall. There are also 166 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.

Battery electric share of licensed cars, Bath and North East Somerset compared, end of March each year
Year Bath and North East SomersetSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.4%0.4%0.3%
2021 0.7%1.0%0.7%
2022 1.3%2.1%1.3%
2023 1.8%3.2%2.1%
2024 2.4%4.2%3.0%
2025 3.0%5.2%4.1%
2026 3.9%4.9%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Bath and North East Somerset

There were 179 public chargers in Bath and North East Somerset on 1 July 2026, 35 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 90 for every 100,000 residents, 72nd lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 2.3% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 26.8 privately kept plug-in cars in Bath and North East Somerset (UK 11.9), 54th most of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.

Public chargers

Public EV chargers in Bath and North East Somerset by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 17532
Apr 2026 18036
Jul 2026 17935

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Bath and North East Somerset compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Bath and North East Somerset 9018
South West 15750
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Bath and North East Somerset has 27 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 5.1%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Bath and North East Somerset with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Bath and North East Somerset 012 3,760 191 5.1% 8.1%
Bath and North East Somerset 010 7,012 333 4.7% 7.4%
Bath and North East Somerset 007 4,283 197 4.6% 7.7%
Bath and North East Somerset 018 3,370 151 4.5% 6.8%
Bath and North East Somerset 021 5,476 241 4.4% 7.0%
Bath and North East Somerset 017 2,719 102 3.8% 6.2%
Bath and North East Somerset 003 3,976 149 3.7% 5.7%
Bath and North East Somerset 008 2,725 101 3.7% 5.9%
Bath and North East Somerset 016 6,984 261 3.7% 5.6%
Bath and North East Somerset 020 5,376 156 2.9% 4.5%
Lowest electric shares
Bath and North East Somerset 015 2,660 37 1.4% 2.4%
Bath and North East Somerset 014 2,088 35 1.7% 3.0%
Bath and North East Somerset 024 3,868 69 1.8% 2.5%
Bath and North East Somerset 026 4,110 78 1.9% 2.5%
Bath and North East Somerset 025 4,114 82 2.0% 3.0%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 4 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Bath and North East Somerset

Vehicles travelled an estimated 758 million miles on roads in Bath and North East Somerset in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Bath and North East Somerset
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 611
1994 621
1995 629
1996 642
1997 647
1998 651
1999 663
2000 666
2001 677
2002 694
2003 704
2004 714
2005 717
2006 737
2007 749
2008 751
2009 732
2010 713
2011 724
2012 725
2013 726
2014 752
2015 765
2016 780
2017 781
2018 773
2019 782
2020 617
2021 680
2022 729
2023 743
2024 751
2025 758

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Bath and North East Somerset, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 17746
2022 19060
2023 7619
2024 18763
2025 20269

Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Bath and North East Somerset

Unleaded petrol averages 172.4p a litre across 18 filling stations in Bath and North East Somerset, 0.7p above the UK average. Diesel averages 195.6p, 1.0p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Central Garage Murco Bristol 167.9p
  2. Tesco Midsomer Norton Superstore Bristol 167.9p
  3. Arleen Coaches Murco Bath 170.9p

Every filling station and price in Bath and North East Somerset

How Bath and North East Somerset compares

Bath and North East Somerset compared with the South West, England, the UK
Bath and North East Somerset 449 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 90 26.8
South West 506 4.9% 2.6% 9.6% 157 13.3
England 437 5.8% 2.9% 10.6% 173 12.4
United Kingdom4415.4%2.8%9.9%17511.9

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 the South West

Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.

Councils in the South West
South Gloucestershire 520 19.1% 3.1% 36.8% 162 15.8
Wiltshire 552 8.4% 2.9% 24.1% 117 18.3
Exeter 355 4.5% 2.5% 34.1% 259 5.4
Stroud 585 4.2% 3.8% 3.4% 199 15.6
Tewkesbury 564 4.1% 3.5% 3.7% 157 22.2
Cotswold 602 4.0% 3.4% 3.7% 310 10.6
Bath and North East Somerset 449 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 90 26.8
North Somerset 546 3.9% 3.2% 4.4% 107 28.4
Cheltenham 464 3.6% 3.0% 3.5% 272 9.4
South Hams 568 3.6% 3.0% 3.8% 145 16.6
Swindon 468 3.5% 2.7% 5.6% 138 16.6
Isles of Scilly 233 3.3% 1.3% 5.0% 676 0.5
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 472 3.1% 2.5% 4.0% 112 17.1
Dorset 571 3.1% 2.6% 3.8% 196 12.0
East Devon 542 3.1% 2.7% 3.4% 200 11.5
Forest of Dean 576 3.1% 2.7% 3.6% 194 11.9
Gloucester 463 3.0% 2.4% 4.5% 149 12.6
Teignbridge 547 3.0% 2.5% 3.7% 147 13.9
Bristol 360 2.8% 2.1% 4.7% 99 15.0
Mid Devon 557 2.8% 2.4% 3.9% 91 22.8
Somerset 555 2.8% 2.4% 3.7% 137 14.6
Cornwall 523 2.7% 2.2% 4.4% 235 7.5
West Devon 561 2.7% 2.4% 3.5% 178 11.7
North Devon 514 2.5% 2.0% 4.2% 208 7.8
Torridge 550 2.4% 2.0% 4.5% 107 15.6
Torbay 467 2.3% 1.8% 4.7% 97 13.6
Plymouth 424 2.1% 1.5% 4.6% 162 6.6

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 113,479 licensed vehicles in Bath and North East Somerset 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 5,804 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 Bath and North East Somerset 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.
How we calculate these figures All data sources

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.