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Brighton and Hove motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
111,572 licensed vehicles in Brighton and Hove
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 92,706 +0.6% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 309 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 3,674 4.0% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.1% 172nd highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 804 283 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.3% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Brighton and Hove?

There were 92,706 licensed cars in Brighton and Hove at the end of June 2026, and 111,572 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 2.4% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 309 for every 1,000 residents, 30th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Brighton and Hove

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Brighton and Hove at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 107,31490,514
2011 106,89590,078
2012 106,65189,568
2013 106,70589,861
2014 108,06590,907
2015 108,36591,559
2016 109,54592,535
2017 111,46193,873
2018 112,99694,897
2019 111,43693,522
2020 110,07492,616
2021 113,08594,621
2022 112,36693,373
2023 112,17992,905
2024 111,70792,580
2025 111,23192,193
2026 111,57292,706

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, Brighton and Hove compared
Year Brighton and HoveSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 330534–
2012 327535–
2013 326541–
2014 329547–
2015 330551473
2016 331559480
2017 336567488
2018 337570490
2019 334572493
2020 333561489
2021 342564493
2022 336565489
2023 331567489
2024 326570490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Brighton and Hove

61.8% of cars in Brighton and Hove run on petrol and 23.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 31.6% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.9%, and cars that plug in 5.8%.

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 Brighton and Hove, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 79.7%19.9%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 77.9%21.7%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 76.0%23.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 74.1%25.3%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 72.0%27.3%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2015 70.3%28.9%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 68.9%30.2%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 68.0%30.9%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2018 66.8%31.6%1.0%0.1%0.2%
2019 67.6%30.5%1.3%0.2%0.3%
2020 67.4%30.2%1.6%0.3%0.3%
2021 66.8%29.6%2.2%0.6%0.5%
2022 66.1%28.8%3.0%1.1%0.8%
2023 64.9%28.1%4.1%1.7%1.0%
2024 63.8%26.6%5.9%2.3%1.2%
2025 62.9%24.9%7.4%3.1%1.5%
2026 61.8%23.3%8.9%4.0%1.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Brighton and Hove

3,674 battery electric cars were licensed in Brighton and Hove at the end of June 2026, 4.0% of all cars, 158th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,374 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,832.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.1% are battery electric (2,732 cars), 27th lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 25.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.3% of its cars overall. There are also 235 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, Brighton and Hove compared, end of March each year
Year Brighton and HoveSouth EastUnited 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%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.5%0.4%
2021 0.6%1.1%0.8%
2022 1.1%2.2%1.5%
2023 1.7%3.3%2.3%
2024 2.3%4.5%3.2%
2025 3.1%6.4%4.4%
2026 4.0%9.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Brighton and Hove

There were 804 public chargers in Brighton and Hove on 1 July 2026, 33 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 283 for every 100,000 residents, 40th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 20.9% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 5.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Brighton and Hove (UK 12.9), 28th fewest 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 Brighton and Hove by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 66536
Apr 2026 66734
Jul 2026 80433

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Brighton and Hove compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Brighton and Hove 28312
South East 15940
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Brighton and Hove has 33 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 5.5%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Brighton and Hove with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Brighton and Hove 007 4,214 230 5.5% 8.3%
Brighton and Hove 011 3,590 162 4.5% 7.3%
Brighton and Hove 004 3,284 144 4.4% 6.1%
Brighton and Hove 003 4,435 181 4.1% 6.0%
Brighton and Hove 023 2,667 98 3.7% 5.8%
Brighton and Hove 033 5,949 216 3.6% 5.6%
Brighton and Hove 032 2,639 83 3.1% 4.6%
Brighton and Hove 017 5,226 159 3.0% 4.4%
Brighton and Hove 020 2,992 90 3.0% 4.2%
Brighton and Hove 013 4,231 123 2.9% 4.8%
Lowest electric shares
Brighton and Hove 025 2,771 16 0.6% 1.8%
Brighton and Hove 030 1,928 27 1.4% 3.4%
Brighton and Hove 008 2,549 35 1.4% 2.1%
Brighton and Hove 002 2,262 40 1.8% 2.7%
Brighton and Hove 019 2,862 53 1.9% 3.4%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Brighton and Hove

Vehicles travelled an estimated 770 million miles on roads in Brighton and Hove in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Brighton and Hove
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 749
1994 760
1995 771
1996 787
1997 810
1998 822
1999 834
2000 829
2001 835
2002 846
2003 840
2004 828
2005 829
2006 823
2007 818
2008 793
2009 774
2010 763
2011 767
2012 776
2013 775
2014 793
2015 799
2016 803
2017 812
2018 796
2019 801
2020 635
2021 696
2022 748
2023 754
2024 759
2025 770

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Brighton and Hove, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 620168
2022 636186
2023 591149
2024 543148
2025 579161

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Brighton and Hove

Unleaded petrol averages 173.1p a litre across 17 filling stations in Brighton and Hove, 1.6p above the UK average. Diesel averages 197.4p, 1.3p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Brighton Marina Superstore Brighton 170.9p
  2. Esso MFG Downsway Brighton 171.9p
  3. Esso MFG Hove Hove - Brighton 171.9p

Every filling station and price in Brighton and Hove

How Brighton and Hove compares

Brighton and Hove compared with the South East, England, the UK
Brighton and Hove 309 4.0% 3.1% 5.3% 283 5.3
South East 499 9.3% 3.5% 18.5% 159 17.7
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 Brighton and Hove

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in Brighton and Hove. The nearest centres are elsewhere in the South East.

Centres in the South East:

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 East

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

Councils in the South East
Windsor and Maidenhead 521 40.1% 4.1% 83.4% 150 24.9
Milton Keynes 459 28.0% 4.8% 62.3% 323 10.1
Slough 386 26.3% 2.8% 50.4% 100 22.2
Portsmouth 362 8.2% 1.8% 36.0% 203 5.4
Elmbridge 530 6.2% 4.8% 4.3% 181 25.0
Cherwell 515 5.9% 3.8% 14.4% 204 15.4
Wokingham 544 5.7% 5.1% 3.1% 159 27.2
Winchester 527 5.4% 4.7% 4.9% 213 17.7
Hart 599 5.2% 4.2% 4.2% 210 18.7
Vale of White Horse 542 5.2% 4.8% 3.1% 194 20.0
Guildford 501 5.1% 4.4% 4.8% 182 19.1
Waverley 569 5.0% 4.5% 2.9% 155 26.6
Epsom and Ewell 463 4.9% 4.0% 3.8% 131 24.3
South Oxfordshire 563 4.9% 4.2% 3.3% 121 31.5
Buckinghamshire 546 4.8% 4.2% 4.1% 141 26.6
Mole Valley 595 4.8% 3.9% 15.9% 286 13.6
Eastleigh 544 4.7% 3.8% 4.6% 117 25.4
Surrey Heath 576 4.7% 4.1% 3.4% 207 18.5
East Hampshire 600 4.6% 4.0% 3.3% 84 45.1
Reigate and Banstead 500 4.6% 3.6% 9.9% 123 25.6
Runnymede 498 4.6% 3.6% 5.9% 246 12.3
Rushmoor 482 4.6% 2.6% 66.2% 156 13.1
Dartford 443 4.5% 3.7% 5.6% 194 14.2
Mid Sussex 535 4.5% 3.8% 5.0% 176 18.8
Sevenoaks 554 4.5% 3.9% 4.9% 95 39.0
Test Valley 565 4.5% 3.9% 3.9% 118 28.3
West Berkshire 562 4.5% 3.9% 4.1% 283 12.1
Basingstoke and Deane 529 4.4% 3.9% 3.2% 141 22.4
Tonbridge and Malling 534 4.4% 3.6% 5.9% 128 24.8
Fareham 568 4.3% 3.7% 3.0% 62 52.0
Horsham 583 4.3% 3.7% 3.4% 195 17.4
Tandridge 554 4.3% 3.6% 3.8% 138 25.3
Oxford 279 4.2% 3.3% 5.6% 167 8.7
West Oxfordshire 553 4.2% 3.7% 4.3% 195 17.1
Bracknell Forest 532 4.1% 3.6% 19.6% 159 19.7
Woking 516 4.1% 3.7% 3.2% 274 12.0
Brighton and Hove 309 4.0% 3.1% 5.3% 283 5.3
Tunbridge Wells 518 4.0% 3.4% 3.8% 113 27.2
Canterbury 458 3.9% 3.1% 4.8% 162 14.1
Wealden 600 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 115 28.1
Ashford 516 3.8% 3.1% 4.7% 145 18.1
Chichester 562 3.8% 3.2% 4.1% 173 17.0
Lewes 493 3.7% 3.2% 3.8% 140 17.4
Maidstone 520 3.7% 3.1% 4.4% 83 32.5
New Forest 606 3.6% 3.1% 3.3% 177 17.2
Reading 362 3.6% 2.9% 5.1% 189 9.1
Havant 510 3.5% 2.7% 4.8% 72 29.4
Worthing 467 3.4% 2.8% 3.6% 255 7.4
Arun 532 3.3% 2.9% 3.3% 166 14.1
Spelthorne 496 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 160 16.3
Adur 476 3.2% 2.6% 4.1% 168 11.2
Crawley 435 3.2% 2.5% 4.9% 223 8.2
Gravesham 465 3.2% 2.6% 5.6% 78 28.8
Medway 461 3.2% 2.5% 4.7% 79 25.3
Rother 551 3.2% 2.8% 3.9% 67 38.3
Swale 497 3.2% 2.7% 5.4% 107 20.3
Dover 499 3.0% 2.6% 4.2% 137 15.2
Folkestone and Hythe 498 3.0% 2.5% 4.3% 211 9.9
Eastbourne 428 2.9% 2.2% 6.9% 116 13.0
Isle of Wight 500 2.8% 2.3% 4.2% 135 12.5
Thanet 461 2.8% 2.2% 5.0% 98 17.1
Gosport 475 2.7% 2.2% 3.3% 100 16.3
Southampton 372 2.7% 2.0% 4.5% 70 17.4
Hastings 417 2.5% 2.0% 4.8% 52 26.5

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 111,572 licensed vehicles in Brighton and Hove 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 5,806 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 Brighton and Hove 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.