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Cardiff motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
180,833 licensed vehicles in Cardiff
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 156,959 +1.4% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 383 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 4,940 3.1% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.4% 122nd lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 454 118 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 6.4% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Cardiff?

There were 156,959 licensed cars in Cardiff at the end of March 2026, and 180,833 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 18.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 383 for every 1,000 residents, 63rd lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Cardiff

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Cardiff at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 150,880133,011
2011 150,543133,514
2012 150,725133,587
2013 151,591134,529
2014 153,634136,438
2015 154,772137,471
2016 157,798140,080
2017 159,307141,031
2018 160,663142,029
2019 162,841143,770
2020 165,150146,116
2021 165,717145,640
2022 169,607147,868
2023 172,450149,768
2024 175,243152,158
2025 178,226154,764
2026 180,833156,959

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, Cardiff compared
Year CardiffWalesUnited Kingdom
2011 386470–
2012 385471–
2013 387476–
2014 392482–
2015 393486473
2016 397493480
2017 399500488
2018 401504490
2019 405510493
2020 400504489
2021 409513493
2022 402510489
2023 397510489
2024 398514490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Cardiff

57.7% of cars in Cardiff run on petrol and 28.8% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 37.9% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.4%, 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 Cardiff, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 76.5%23.2%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 74.4%25.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 72.3%27.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 70.2%29.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 68.2%31.3%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 65.9%33.5%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 63.9%35.3%0.5%0.1%0.0%
2017 62.3%36.7%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2018 61.3%37.6%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2019 60.7%37.9%1.0%0.1%0.2%
2020 60.5%37.7%1.3%0.2%0.2%
2021 60.3%37.2%1.7%0.4%0.3%
2022 60.0%36.3%2.4%0.6%0.5%
2023 59.9%35.0%3.2%1.0%0.7%
2024 59.5%33.1%4.8%1.5%0.9%
2025 58.7%31.1%6.5%2.2%1.2%
2026 57.7%28.8%8.4%3.1%1.6%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Cardiff

4,940 battery electric cars were licensed in Cardiff at the end of March 2026, 3.1% of all cars, 128th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 7,487 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 3,446.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.4% are battery electric (3,511 cars), 5th highest of 22 councils in Wales. Companies keep 28.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 6.4% of its cars overall. There are also 382 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, Cardiff compared, end of March each year
Year CardiffWalesUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.0%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.2%0.3%
2021 0.4%0.3%0.7%
2022 0.6%0.6%1.3%
2023 1.0%0.9%2.1%
2024 1.5%1.3%3.0%
2025 2.2%2.0%4.1%
2026 3.1%2.8%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Cardiff

There were 454 public chargers in Cardiff on 1 July 2026, 181 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 118 for every 100,000 residents, 132nd lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 1.6% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 13.1 privately kept plug-in cars in Cardiff (UK 11.9), 138th 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 Cardiff by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 447161
Apr 2026 431159
Jul 2026 454181

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Cardiff compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Cardiff 11847
Wales 18643
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Cardiff has 48 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Cardiff with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Cardiff 001 4,661 229 4.9% 8.2%
Cardiff 014 6,110 278 4.5% 6.5%
Cardiff 008 3,573 150 4.2% 6.2%
Cardiff 006 5,223 214 4.1% 6.1%
Cardiff 003 6,049 235 3.9% 6.1%
Cardiff 019 3,603 123 3.4% 5.2%
Cardiff 026 4,901 159 3.2% 5.2%
Cardiff 011 4,216 125 3.0% 4.6%
Cardiff 012 4,129 118 2.9% 4.4%
Cardiff 021 3,127 90 2.9% 4.1%
Lowest electric shares
Cardiff 030 2,420 0 0.0% 1.4%
Cardiff 044 2,882 5 0.2% 0.8%
Cardiff 038 2,302 6 0.3% 0.8%
Cardiff 041 2,661 14 0.5% 1.8%
Cardiff 028 1,695 9 0.5% 1.6%

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 Cardiff

Vehicles travelled an estimated 2,037 million miles on roads in Cardiff in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Cardiff
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 1,525
1994 1,551
1995 1,578
1996 1,614
1997 1,653
1998 1,699
1999 1,731
2000 1,682
2001 1,718
2002 1,743
2003 1,757
2004 1,803
2005 1,701
2006 1,713
2007 1,715
2008 1,677
2009 1,622
2010 1,600
2011 1,635
2012 1,671
2013 1,690
2014 1,789
2015 1,841
2016 1,888
2017 1,882
2018 1,961
2019 1,995
2020 1,551
2021 1,736
2022 1,917
2023 1,961
2024 1,980
2025 2,037

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Cardiff, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 26550
2022 27555
2023 29356
2024 24038
2025 27253

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Cardiff

Unleaded petrol averages 171.3p a litre across 31 filling stations in Cardiff, 0.4p below the UK average. Diesel averages 194.3p, 0.3p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Cardiff Bay Superstore Cardiff 167.9p
  2. Tesco Cardiff Tyn-Y-Parc Express Cardiff 168.9p
  3. Tesco St Mellons Superstore Cardiff 168.9p

Every filling station and price in Cardiff

How Cardiff compares

Cardiff compared with Wales, the UK
Cardiff 383 3.1% 2.4% 6.4% 118 13.1
Wales 490 2.8% 2.1% 6.2% 186 9.0
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 Wales

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

Councils in Wales
Bridgend 486 4.3% 2.7% 10.1% 146 14.0
Monmouthshire 578 3.7% 3.2% 4.4% 283 10.6
Vale of Glamorgan 512 3.5% 3.0% 4.6% 139 16.9
Swansea 485 3.4% 2.0% 10.1% 154 11.0
Newport 457 3.2% 2.5% 5.5% 303 6.3
Cardiff 383 3.1% 2.4% 6.4% 118 13.1
Denbighshire 504 3.0% 2.1% 6.3% 179 8.9
Flintshire 555 2.9% 2.3% 4.8% 118 16.3
Conwy 514 2.7% 2.0% 5.7% 152 10.6
Torfaen 496 2.6% 1.9% 6.2% 155 9.5
Carmarthenshire 527 2.5% 1.9% 6.1% 216 7.4
Neath Port Talbot 474 2.5% 1.8% 6.8% 73 33.3
Caerphilly 495 2.4% 1.8% 5.7% 108 14.3
Wrexham 502 2.4% 1.8% 4.9% 204 8.6
Ceredigion 511 2.3% 1.9% 4.6% 306 4.8
Pembrokeshire 535 2.3% 1.8% 5.5% 365 4.1
Powys 549 2.3% 1.8% 5.1% 270 5.9
Rhondda Cynon Taf 470 2.3% 1.8% 6.0% 121 11.3
Isle of Anglesey 552 2.2% 1.6% 4.3% 245 5.7
Gwynedd 493 2.0% 1.5% 4.8% 390 3.0
Merthyr Tydfil 451 2.0% 1.5% 6.6% 139 9.0
Blaenau Gwent 499 1.7% 1.3% 5.3% 228 4.5

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 180,833 licensed vehicles in Cardiff 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 8,033 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 Cardiff 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.