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Dacorum motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
103,493 licensed vehicles in Dacorum
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 85,528 +1.0% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 508 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 3,623 4.2% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.5% 114th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 257 159 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.1% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Dacorum?

There were 85,528 licensed cars in Dacorum at the end of June 2026, and 103,493 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 15.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 508 for every 1,000 residents, 145th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Dacorum

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Dacorum at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 86,22074,159
2011 87,35674,910
2012 88,57175,777
2013 89,77877,106
2014 91,67878,510
2015 92,47079,403
2016 93,99480,518
2017 95,49781,634
2018 96,93982,221
2019 98,67383,039
2020 97,80382,177
2021 99,49383,061
2022 100,23983,321
2023 101,22783,910
2024 102,15984,720
2025 102,46184,664
2026 103,49385,528

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, Dacorum compared
Year DacorumEast of EnglandUnited Kingdom
2011 516503–
2012 516502–
2013 521505–
2014 526524–
2015 526529473
2016 528537480
2017 533544488
2018 534542490
2019 538541493
2020 531536489
2021 535539493
2022 533532489
2023 529529489
2024 525531490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Dacorum

61.4% of cars in Dacorum run on petrol and 22.4% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 33.3% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 9.0%, and cars that plug in 6.9%.

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 Dacorum, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 77.0%22.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2011 75.1%24.3%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2012 73.3%26.0%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2013 71.6%27.6%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2014 69.6%29.5%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2015 68.0%31.0%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2016 66.5%32.3%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2017 65.5%33.1%0.9%0.1%0.2%
2018 64.9%33.3%1.1%0.2%0.3%
2019 64.9%32.9%1.3%0.3%0.4%
2020 64.8%32.5%1.6%0.4%0.5%
2021 64.4%31.8%2.2%0.7%0.7%
2022 63.8%30.4%3.1%1.3%1.1%
2023 63.6%28.7%4.1%1.9%1.4%
2024 63.6%26.4%5.4%2.5%1.7%
2025 62.8%24.4%7.2%3.2%2.1%
2026 61.4%22.4%9.0%4.2%2.6%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Dacorum

3,623 battery electric cars were licensed in Dacorum at the end of June 2026, 4.2% of all cars, 129th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,859 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,703.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.5% are battery electric (2,910 cars), 15th highest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 19.7% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.1% of its cars overall. There are also 95 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, Dacorum compared, end of March each year
Year DacorumEast of EnglandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.3%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.4%0.4%0.4%
2021 0.7%0.8%0.8%
2022 1.3%1.2%1.5%
2023 1.9%1.9%2.3%
2024 2.5%2.9%3.2%
2025 3.2%4.1%4.4%
2026 4.2%5.6%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Dacorum

There were 257 public chargers in Dacorum on 1 July 2026, 89 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 159 for every 100,000 residents, 144th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 12.2% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 19.0 privately kept plug-in cars in Dacorum (UK 12.9), 148th 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 Dacorum by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 22987
Apr 2026 26289
Jul 2026 25789

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Dacorum compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Dacorum 15955
Hertfordshire 20857
East of England 15049
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Dacorum has 22 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, 4.8%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Dacorum with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Dacorum 006 4,177 200 4.8% 8.0%
Dacorum 004 3,687 172 4.7% 7.8%
Dacorum 014 3,151 147 4.7% 7.6%
Dacorum 009 3,732 169 4.5% 7.7%
Dacorum 012 3,771 162 4.3% 7.5%
Dacorum 021 6,575 285 4.3% 7.2%
Dacorum 002 4,309 179 4.2% 6.5%
Dacorum 017 4,508 161 3.6% 5.7%
Dacorum 022 3,427 124 3.6% 6.5%
Dacorum 018 6,543 219 3.3% 5.5%
Lowest electric shares
Dacorum 008 3,705 47 1.3% 2.6%
Dacorum 007 4,183 60 1.4% 3.0%
Dacorum 010 3,151 61 1.9% 3.6%
Dacorum 015 6,176 129 2.1% 3.9%
Dacorum 011 3,696 85 2.3% 4.0%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Dacorum

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Dacorum, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 17141
2022 18736
2023 19349
2024 16032
2025 16144

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Dacorum

Unleaded petrol averages 168.5p a litre across 16 filling stations in Dacorum, 3.0p below the UK average. Diesel averages 196.9p, 1.8p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Sainsbury's Apsley Mill Hemel Hempstead 162.9p
  2. Esso Asda Hall Park Express Petrol Berkhamsted 164.9p
  3. Esso Asda Dacorum Express Petrol Hemel Hempstead 166.9p

Every filling station and price in Dacorum

How Dacorum compares

Dacorum compared with Hertfordshire, the East of England, England, the UK
Dacorum 508 4.2% 3.5% 4.1% 159 19.0
Hertfordshire 488 4.6% 3.8% 4.5% 208 14.9
East of England 501 5.6% 3.2% 8.7% 150 17.3
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 Dacorum

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in Dacorum. The nearest centres are elsewhere in Hertfordshire.

Centres in Hertfordshire:

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 Hertfordshire

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

Councils in Hertfordshire
St Albans 503 5.8% 5.0% 3.7% 111 36.8
Hertsmere 469 5.7% 4.4% 6.5% 229 15.2
Three Rivers 513 5.1% 4.2% 4.2% 161 23.4
North Hertfordshire 515 4.7% 4.0% 4.3% 117 27.7
East Hertfordshire 529 4.4% 3.7% 3.8% 135 24.6
Welwyn Hatfield 458 4.4% 3.6% 5.5% 350 7.8
Dacorum 508 4.2% 3.5% 4.1% 159 19.0
Watford 398 4.0% 3.0% 5.4% 563 4.0
Broxbourne 486 3.4% 2.8% 4.7% 153 15.8
Stevenage 450 3.1% 2.6% 4.3% 194 9.8

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 103,493 licensed vehicles in Dacorum 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 6,059 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 Dacorum 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.