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Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
247,211 licensed vehicles in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 200,993 +0.4% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 472 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 6,296 3.1% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.5% 140th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 458 112 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.0% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?

There were 200,993 licensed cars in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole at the end of March 2026, and 247,211 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 11.7% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 472 for every 1,000 residents, 157th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 213,088179,927
2011 215,524181,828
2012 216,044182,028
2013 217,507183,244
2014 220,830185,857
2015 223,352188,187
2016 228,278192,005
2017 233,016195,707
2018 234,931196,622
2019 237,210197,600
2020 237,636198,737
2021 238,386197,191
2022 242,023198,383
2023 243,381198,626
2024 245,624200,084
2025 246,259200,261
2026 247,211200,993

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, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole compared
Year Bournemouth, Christchurch and PooleSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 481524–
2012 478527–
2013 479533–
2014 481541–
2015 483546473
2016 486550480
2017 492565488
2018 493569490
2019 496580493
2020 491573489
2021 497575493
2022 493571489
2023 491570489
2024 491571490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

61.0% of cars in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole run on petrol and 27.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 31.2% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.4%, and cars that plug in 4.8%.

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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 78.9%20.7%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 77.4%22.2%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 75.9%23.6%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 74.2%25.3%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 72.7%26.7%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 71.1%28.2%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 69.9%29.3%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2017 68.7%30.3%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2018 68.1%30.7%0.8%0.2%0.2%
2019 67.8%30.7%1.0%0.2%0.2%
2020 67.2%31.0%1.1%0.3%0.3%
2021 66.4%31.2%1.4%0.4%0.4%
2022 65.3%31.1%2.1%0.8%0.5%
2023 64.4%30.6%2.9%1.2%0.7%
2024 63.3%30.0%3.9%1.6%1.0%
2025 62.2%28.9%5.1%2.3%1.2%
2026 61.0%27.6%6.4%3.1%1.6%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

6,296 battery electric cars were licensed in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole at the end of March 2026, 3.1% of all cars, 128th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 9,578 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 4,553.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.5% are battery electric (4,781 cars), 14th lowest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 24.1% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.0% of its cars overall. There are also 365 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, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole compared, end of March each year
Year Bournemouth, Christchurch and PooleSouth 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 0.3%0.4%0.3%
2021 0.4%1.0%0.7%
2022 0.8%2.1%1.3%
2023 1.2%3.2%2.1%
2024 1.6%4.2%3.0%
2025 2.3%5.2%4.1%
2026 3.1%4.9%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

There were 458 public chargers in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole on 1 July 2026, 201 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 112 for every 100,000 residents, 115th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 15.9% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 17.1 privately kept plug-in cars in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (UK 11.9), 159th 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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 395180
Apr 2026 445189
Jul 2026 458201

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 11249
South West 15750
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has 48 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.0% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.8%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 048 5,651 213 3.8% 7.1%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 004 7,606 272 3.6% 5.5%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 047 6,143 223 3.6% 5.8%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 020 3,842 133 3.5% 5.1%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 001 4,583 155 3.4% 5.2%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 043 6,304 209 3.3% 5.3%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 028 3,806 120 3.2% 5.1%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 039 5,300 164 3.1% 4.7%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 018 4,322 129 3.0% 4.6%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 008 4,080 120 2.9% 4.2%
Lowest electric shares
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 037 4,220 24 0.6% 1.5%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 041 4,082 50 1.2% 2.1%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 024 3,294 41 1.2% 1.9%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 040 2,488 32 1.3% 1.8%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 025 4,383 55 1.3% 2.2%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 2 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,285 million miles on roads in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Year Million vehicle miles
2019 1,319
2020 1,040
2021 1,162
2022 1,234
2023 1,259
2024 1,285
2025 1,285

Source:DfT 2019 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 678181
2022 737171
2023 725176
2024 707161
2025 677171

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Unleaded petrol averages 174.2p a litre across 32 filling stations in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, 2.5p above the UK average. Diesel averages 197.9p, 3.3p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Tesco Bournemouth Extra Bournemouth 165.9p
  2. Texaco Spur End Service Station Bournemouth 166.9p
  3. Christchurch Esso Express Christchurch 167.9p

Every filling station and price in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

How Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole compares

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole compared with the South West, England, the UK
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 472 3.1% 2.5% 4.0% 112 17.1
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 247,211 licensed vehicles in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 10,305 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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 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.