South East · District council
Cherwell motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Cherwell, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Cherwell compares with the South East. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 102,649 +0.6% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 515 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 6,070 5.9% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.8% 70th highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 347 204 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 14.4% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in Cherwell?
There were 102,649 licensed cars in Cherwell at the end of June 2026, and 124,208 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 22.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 515 for every 1,000 residents, 129th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in Cherwell
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 99,746 | 83,513 |
| 2011 | 102,702 | 86,714 |
| 2012 | 106,083 | 90,127 |
| 2013 | 107,683 | 91,916 |
| 2014 | 108,983 | 92,840 |
| 2015 | 113,734 | 97,207 |
| 2016 | 117,601 | 100,586 |
| 2017 | 122,340 | 104,395 |
| 2018 | 123,341 | 105,143 |
| 2019 | 124,861 | 106,091 |
| 2020 | 126,391 | 107,974 |
| 2021 | 118,674 | 99,168 |
| 2022 | 122,104 | 101,963 |
| 2023 | 123,013 | 102,619 |
| 2024 | 121,513 | 100,594 |
| 2025 | 123,345 | 101,992 |
| 2026 | 124,208 | 102,649 |
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.
| Year | Cherwell | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 610 | 534 | – |
| 2012 | 628 | 535 | – |
| 2013 | 633 | 541 | – |
| 2014 | 633 | 547 | – |
| 2015 | 654 | 551 | 473 |
| 2016 | 667 | 559 | 480 |
| 2017 | 685 | 567 | 488 |
| 2018 | 681 | 570 | 490 |
| 2019 | 678 | 572 | 493 |
| 2020 | 682 | 561 | 489 |
| 2021 | 613 | 564 | 493 |
| 2022 | 620 | 565 | 489 |
| 2023 | 613 | 567 | 489 |
| 2024 | 590 | 570 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Cherwell
49.9% of cars in Cherwell run on petrol and 29.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 49.0% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 11.8%, and cars that plug in 8.8%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.4% | 36.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 60.7% | 38.9% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 57.4% | 42.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 55.8% | 43.6% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 54.2% | 45.2% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2015 | 52.3% | 46.9% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2016 | 50.4% | 48.8% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2017 | 50.0% | 49.0% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2018 | 52.2% | 46.5% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| 2019 | 51.9% | 46.3% | 0.8% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| 2020 | 50.9% | 46.6% | 1.0% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| 2021 | 54.8% | 39.9% | 2.1% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| 2022 | 53.8% | 37.9% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 1.8% |
| 2023 | 52.4% | 35.3% | 6.8% | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| 2024 | 51.5% | 33.7% | 8.8% | 3.4% | 2.1% |
| 2025 | 51.0% | 31.5% | 10.4% | 4.3% | 2.4% |
| 2026 | 49.9% | 29.1% | 11.8% | 5.9% | 2.9% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Cherwell
6,070 battery electric cars were licensed in Cherwell at the end of June 2026, 5.9% of all cars, 27th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 9,011 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 4,363.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.8% are battery electric (3,358 cars), 20th highest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 44.7% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 14.4% of its cars overall. There are also 248 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.
| Year | Cherwell | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 3.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 2.8% | 3.3% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | 4.5% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 4.3% | 6.4% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 5.9% | 9.3% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Cherwell
There were 347 public chargers in Cherwell on 1 July 2026, 133 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 204 for every 100,000 residents, 83rd highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 1.7% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 15.4 privately kept plug-in cars in Cherwell (UK 12.9), 156th fewest of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.
Public chargers
| Date | All public chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 353 | 125 |
| Apr 2026 | 352 | 133 |
| Jul 2026 | 347 | 133 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Cherwell | 204 | 78 |
| Oxfordshire | 175 | 42 |
| South East | 159 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Cherwell has 19 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.1% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherwell 016 | 9,134 | 443 | 4.9% | |
| Cherwell 011 | 8,197 | 389 | 4.7% | |
| Cherwell 010 | 7,492 | 341 | 4.6% | |
| Cherwell 008 | 7,550 | 330 | 4.4% | |
| Cherwell 001 | 6,052 | 258 | 4.3% | |
| Cherwell 015 | 4,742 | 176 | 3.7% | |
| Cherwell 012 | 3,956 | 138 | 3.5% | |
| Cherwell 019 | 4,074 | 137 | 3.4% | |
| Cherwell 009 | 5,864 | 195 | 3.3% | |
| Cherwell 006 | 5,519 | 170 | 3.1% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Cherwell 003 | 2,857 | 30 | 1.1% | |
| Cherwell 005 | 4,312 | 51 | 1.2% | |
| Cherwell 004 | 6,058 | 123 | 2.0% | |
| Cherwell 014 | 5,061 | 110 | 2.2% | |
| Cherwell 007 | 3,269 | 76 | 2.3% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in Cherwell
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 193 | 47 |
| 2022 | 226 | 73 |
| 2023 | 174 | 52 |
| 2024 | 212 | 63 |
| 2025 | 197 | 62 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Cherwell
Unleaded petrol averages 172.9p a litre across 18 filling stations in Cherwell, 1.4p above the UK average. Diesel averages 197.9p, 0.8p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Tesco Bicester Superstore Bicester 167.9p
- Empire Petroleum Limited Gulf Bicester 167.9p
- Jet Launton Road Service Station Bicester 167.9p
How Cherwell compares
| Cherwell | 515 | 5.9% | 204 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxfordshire | 486 | 5.0% | 175 |
| South East | 499 | 9.3% | 159 |
| England | 440 | 6.2% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 444 | 5.8% | 175 |
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 Cherwell
There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Cherwell, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 41.3% at Banbury.
Other centres in Oxfordshire:
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 Oxfordshire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Cherwell | 515 | 5.9% | 204 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vale of White Horse | 542 | 5.2% | 194 |
| South Oxfordshire | 563 | 4.9% | 121 |
| Oxford | 279 | 4.2% | 167 |
| West Oxfordshire | 553 | 4.2% | 195 |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 124,208 licensed vehicles in Cherwell | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 9,325 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 Cherwell 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.
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.