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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
249,620 licensed vehicles in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 202,349 +0.7% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 475 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 6,896 3.4% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.8% 140th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 458 112 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.0% UK 10.0%

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

There were 202,349 licensed cars in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole at the end of June 2026, and 249,620 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 11.6% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 475 for every 1,000 residents, 157th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

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 215,486181,388
2011 216,903182,406
2012 217,670182,739
2013 219,816184,745
2014 223,548187,500
2015 225,530189,426
2016 229,953193,035
2017 234,813196,524
2018 236,186197,037
2019 239,045198,593
2020 235,401196,178
2021 241,876198,954
2022 243,281198,563
2023 245,004199,493
2024 247,516200,928
2025 247,515200,930
2026 249,620202,349

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Licensed vehicles by type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 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

60.7% of cars in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole run on petrol and 27.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 31.1% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.8%, and cars that plug in 5.2%.

Cars by fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 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 78.6%21.0%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 77.1%22.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 75.5%24.1%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 73.9%25.6%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 72.4%27.0%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 70.9%28.4%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 69.5%29.6%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 68.6%30.4%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2018 68.0%30.7%0.8%0.2%0.2%
2019 67.7%30.8%1.0%0.2%0.2%
2020 67.1%31.1%1.1%0.3%0.3%
2021 66.2%31.1%1.6%0.5%0.4%
2022 65.1%31.0%2.3%0.9%0.6%
2023 64.1%30.5%3.1%1.3%0.8%
2024 63.0%29.8%4.1%1.8%1.0%
2025 62.0%28.6%5.4%2.5%1.3%
2026 60.7%27.1%6.8%3.4%1.7%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

6,896 battery electric cars were licensed in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole at the end of June 2026, 3.4% of all cars, 129th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 10,428 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 4,935.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.8% are battery electric (5,351 cars), 14th lowest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 22.4% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.0% of its cars overall. There are also 411 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%0.4%
2021 0.5%1.2%0.8%
2022 0.9%2.3%1.5%
2023 1.3%3.5%2.3%
2024 1.8%4.4%3.2%
2025 2.5%5.4%4.4%
2026 3.4%5.2%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 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 18.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (UK 12.9), 162nd 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, 2.3% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.1%. 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 5,704 236 4.1% 7.5%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 004 7,684 305 4.0% 6.1%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 047 6,244 247 4.0% 6.2%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 001 4,671 182 3.9% 5.8%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 020 3,884 151 3.9% 5.7%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 043 6,347 229 3.6% 5.7%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 039 5,313 185 3.5% 5.2%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 028 3,843 125 3.3% 5.4%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 008 4,136 131 3.2% 4.4%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 018 4,347 140 3.2% 4.8%
Lowest electric shares
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 037 4,293 25 0.6% 1.6%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 041 4,121 53 1.3% 2.2%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 024 3,339 48 1.4% 2.3%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 015 4,067 58 1.4% 2.0%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 010 3,647 53 1.5% 2.4%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 3 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 172.5p a litre across 28 filling stations in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, 1.0p above the UK average. Diesel averages 200.5p, 1.8p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Texaco Spur End Service Station Bournemouth 166.9p
  2. Murco MFG Fairmile Christchurch 167.9p
  3. Esso MFG Southbourne Southbourne / Bournemouth 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 475 3.4% 2.8% 4.0% 112 18.3
South West 509 5.2% 2.9% 9.6% 157 14.4
England 440 6.2% 3.2% 10.7% 173 13.4
United Kingdom4445.8%3.1%10.0%17512.9

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 June 2026.

Driving test centres in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 53.4% at Poole.

Other centres in the South West:

DVSA publishes pass rates by centre name, with no address, so centres are placed here by the place name in the name DVSA uses. See pass rates at every test centre.

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 523 18.8% 3.4% 37.0% 162 17.1
Wiltshire 556 8.9% 3.2% 24.3% 117 23.3
Exeter 357 5.2% 2.8% 33.8% 259 5.6
Stroud 589 4.6% 4.1% 3.3% 199 17.4
Tewkesbury 567 4.5% 3.9% 3.7% 157 21.2
North Somerset 549 4.3% 3.6% 4.4% 107 28.3
Bath and North East Somerset 450 4.2% 3.7% 3.5% 90 28.8
Cotswold 606 4.2% 3.7% 3.7% 310 12.0
Cheltenham 466 3.9% 3.4% 3.5% 272 9.0
South Hams 572 3.9% 3.3% 3.7% 145 19.0
Swindon 471 3.8% 3.0% 5.3% 138 16.4
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 475 3.4% 2.8% 4.0% 112 18.3
Dorset 576 3.4% 2.9% 3.8% 196 12.8
East Devon 546 3.4% 3.0% 3.5% 200 12.7
Forest of Dean 581 3.4% 3.0% 3.6% 194 13.1
Gloucester 465 3.3% 2.6% 4.6% 149 12.7
Teignbridge 551 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 147 15.6
Isles of Scilly 238 3.2% 1.2% 5.1% 676 0.6
Mid Devon 562 3.1% 2.7% 3.9% 91 24.9
Somerset 560 3.1% 2.7% 3.7% 137 16.8
West Devon 564 3.1% 2.7% 3.5% 178 13.0
Bristol 362 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 99 13.7
Cornwall 528 3.0% 2.5% 4.4% 235 8.1
North Devon 518 2.7% 2.2% 4.2% 208 9.1
Torbay 469 2.6% 2.0% 4.7% 97 15.4
Torridge 555 2.6% 2.2% 4.5% 107 17.7
Plymouth 426 2.2% 1.7% 4.6% 162 7.3

Data stories to read next

All insights

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 249,620 licensed vehicles in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 11,278 plug-in vehicles 26 October 2026
Public chargers Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport 1 July 2026 121,171 public chargers (UK) 26 October 2026
Population Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics Mid-2024 404 areas 26 October 2026
Neighbourhoods Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales 26 October 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.