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Buckinghamshire motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
392,988 licensed vehicles in Buckinghamshire
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 329,599 +0.7% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 546 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 15,875 4.8% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.2% 36th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 818 141 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.1% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Buckinghamshire?

There were 329,599 licensed cars in Buckinghamshire at the end of June 2026, and 392,988 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 16.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 546 for every 1,000 residents, 71st highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Buckinghamshire

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Buckinghamshire at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 330,860283,625
2011 333,220285,199
2012 336,780288,416
2013 342,200293,298
2014 349,220299,058
2015 353,539302,632
2016 360,303307,825
2017 366,557312,250
2018 368,555313,216
2019 374,166316,729
2020 370,664314,902
2021 378,199318,453
2022 378,735318,138
2023 382,212320,677
2024 387,436325,397
2025 389,764327,258
2026 392,988329,599

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, Buckinghamshire compared
Year BuckinghamshireSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 563534–
2012 563535–
2013 566541–
2014 571547–
2015 571551473
2016 575559480
2017 580567488
2018 578570490
2019 580572493
2020 574561489
2021 574564493
2022 567565489
2023 563567489
2024 562570490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Buckinghamshire

58.3% of cars in Buckinghamshire run on petrol and 24.7% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 36.6% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.8%, and cars that plug in 7.7%.

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 Buckinghamshire, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 73.6%25.9%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2011 71.7%27.7%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2012 69.7%29.6%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2013 67.8%31.4%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2014 65.8%33.3%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2015 64.1%34.8%0.8%0.0%0.1%
2016 62.7%36.0%0.9%0.1%0.1%
2017 61.8%36.6%1.1%0.2%0.2%
2018 61.4%36.5%1.3%0.3%0.3%
2019 61.5%36.0%1.5%0.4%0.5%
2020 61.3%35.6%1.7%0.6%0.6%
2021 60.9%34.8%2.3%0.9%0.9%
2022 60.6%33.4%3.1%1.4%1.1%
2023 60.5%31.5%4.0%2.2%1.5%
2024 60.3%29.1%5.5%2.9%1.8%
2025 59.6%26.8%7.0%3.7%2.3%
2026 58.3%24.7%8.8%4.8%2.9%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Buckinghamshire

15,875 battery electric cars were licensed in Buckinghamshire at the end of June 2026, 4.8% of all cars, 64th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 25,492 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 12,252.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.2% are battery electric (13,132 cars), 8th highest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 17.3% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.1% of its cars overall. There are also 545 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, Buckinghamshire compared, end of March each year
Year BuckinghamshireSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.2%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.3%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.4%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.6%0.5%0.4%
2021 0.9%1.1%0.8%
2022 1.4%2.2%1.5%
2023 2.2%3.3%2.3%
2024 2.9%4.5%3.2%
2025 3.7%6.4%4.4%
2026 4.8%9.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Buckinghamshire

There were 818 public chargers in Buckinghamshire on 1 July 2026, 147 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 141 for every 100,000 residents, 179th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 19.8% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 26.6 privately kept plug-in cars in Buckinghamshire (UK 12.9), 67th 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 Buckinghamshire by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 683148
Apr 2026 817145
Jul 2026 818147

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Buckinghamshire compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Buckinghamshire 14125
South East 15940
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Buckinghamshire has 67 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 5.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Buckinghamshire with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Buckinghamshire 037 4,979 296 5.9% 8.2%
Buckinghamshire 058 5,936 331 5.6% 10.7%
Buckinghamshire 006 5,824 311 5.3% 7.9%
Buckinghamshire 007 8,488 449 5.3% 7.8%
Buckinghamshire 053 7,444 395 5.3% 9.3%
Buckinghamshire 023 4,383 218 5.0% 8.0%
Buckinghamshire 035 4,263 215 5.0% 8.4%
Buckinghamshire 047 5,702 284 5.0% 8.2%
Buckinghamshire 065 5,182 261 5.0% 7.9%
Buckinghamshire 021 9,880 482 4.9% 7.4%
Lowest electric shares
Buckinghamshire 017 3,527 47 1.3% 2.4%
Buckinghamshire 046 4,458 68 1.5% 3.1%
Buckinghamshire 020 3,378 51 1.5% 2.7%
Buckinghamshire 015 3,519 52 1.5% 2.9%
Buckinghamshire 013 4,170 65 1.6% 3.1%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.

Road traffic and collisions in Buckinghamshire

Vehicles travelled an estimated 4,142 million miles on roads in Buckinghamshire in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Buckinghamshire
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 3,158
1994 3,230
1995 3,306
1996 3,448
1997 3,531
1998 3,606
1999 3,744
2000 3,830
2001 3,825
2002 3,828
2003 3,796
2004 3,725
2005 3,678
2006 3,745
2007 3,791
2008 3,755
2009 3,665
2010 3,670
2011 3,609
2012 3,689
2013 3,722
2014 3,850
2015 3,957
2016 4,102
2017 4,118
2018 4,064
2019 4,067
2020 3,203
2021 3,533
2022 3,940
2023 4,022
2024 4,057
2025 4,142

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Buckinghamshire, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 637140
2022 700157
2023 683173
2024 607124
2025 684170

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Buckinghamshire

Unleaded petrol averages 172.6p a litre across 42 filling stations in Buckinghamshire, 1.1p above the UK average. Diesel averages 200.0p, 1.3p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Gulf Ivor Miles Ltd HP17 167.9p
  2. EG Chesham Berkhamstead 168.7p
  3. Shell Amersham Amersham 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Buckinghamshire

How Buckinghamshire compares

Buckinghamshire compared with the South East, England, the UK
Buckinghamshire 546 4.8% 4.2% 4.1% 141 26.6
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 Buckinghamshire

There are 2 DVSA car practical test centres in Buckinghamshire, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 51.5% at High Wycombe.

Other 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 392,988 licensed vehicles in Buckinghamshire 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 26,354 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 Buckinghamshire 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.