South West · County
Devon motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Devon, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Devon compares with the South West. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 478,625 +2.9% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 520 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 16,846 3.5% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.8% UK 3.1%
- Public chargers 1,480 176 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 8.5% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in Devon?
There were 478,625 licensed cars in Devon at the end of June 2026, and 650,896 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 21.1% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 520 for every 1,000 residents (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in Devon
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 508,204 | 395,171 |
| 2011 | 514,809 | 399,117 |
| 2012 | 517,843 | 400,429 |
| 2013 | 527,603 | 407,104 |
| 2014 | 537,921 | 414,787 |
| 2015 | 542,876 | 417,190 |
| 2016 | 554,558 | 424,795 |
| 2017 | 569,902 | 434,383 |
| 2018 | 583,662 | 444,887 |
| 2019 | 592,934 | 449,292 |
| 2020 | 577,789 | 437,192 |
| 2021 | 601,804 | 449,159 |
| 2022 | 609,364 | 452,691 |
| 2023 | 617,348 | 456,428 |
| 2024 | 625,535 | 460,925 |
| 2025 | 632,547 | 465,221 |
| 2026 | 650,896 | 478,625 |
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 | Devon | South West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 534 | 524 | – |
| 2012 | 533 | 527 | – |
| 2013 | 540 | 533 | – |
| 2014 | 546 | 541 | – |
| 2015 | 544 | 546 | 473 |
| 2016 | 549 | 550 | 480 |
| 2017 | 555 | 565 | 488 |
| 2018 | 563 | 569 | 490 |
| 2019 | 564 | 580 | 493 |
| 2020 | 546 | 573 | 489 |
| 2021 | 552 | 575 | 493 |
| 2022 | 548 | 571 | 489 |
| 2023 | 548 | 570 | 489 |
| 2024 | 547 | 571 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Devon
51.9% of cars in Devon run on petrol and 33.9% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 41.4% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.7%, and cars that plug in 6.1%.
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 | 68.2% | 31.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 65.7% | 34.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 63.9% | 35.7% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 62.3% | 37.2% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 61.1% | 38.4% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 59.3% | 40.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2016 | 58.6% | 40.5% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 57.6% | 41.4% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2018 | 57.6% | 41.2% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2019 | 58.1% | 40.5% | 0.8% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| 2020 | 57.5% | 40.6% | 1.0% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 56.7% | 40.2% | 1.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| 2022 | 56.3% | 39.4% | 2.2% | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| 2023 | 55.8% | 38.5% | 2.9% | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| 2024 | 55.0% | 37.4% | 4.1% | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| 2025 | 53.7% | 36.0% | 5.9% | 2.5% | 1.7% |
| 2026 | 51.9% | 33.9% | 7.7% | 3.5% | 2.6% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Devon
16,846 battery electric cars were licensed in Devon at the end of June 2026, 3.5% of all cars. With plug-in hybrids, 29,121 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 11,520.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.8% are battery electric (12,078 cars). Companies keep 28.3% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 8.5% of its cars overall. There are also 1,157 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 | Devon | South West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | 2.3% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | 3.5% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 1.9% | 4.4% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | 5.4% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 3.5% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Devon
There were 1,480 public chargers in Devon on 1 July 2026, 517 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 176 for every 100,000 residents, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 3.4% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 12.4 privately kept plug-in cars in Devon (UK 12.9). 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 | 1,432 | 462 |
| Apr 2026 | 1,477 | 476 |
| Jul 2026 | 1,480 | 517 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Devon | 176 | 61 |
| South West | 157 | 50 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Road traffic and collisions in Devon
Vehicles travelled an estimated 6,170 million miles on roads in Devon in 2025.
Traffic on all roads
| Year | Million vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 3,735 |
| 1994 | 3,847 |
| 1995 | 3,934 |
| 1996 | 4,045 |
| 1997 | 4,152 |
| 1998 | 4,233 |
| 1999 | 4,245 |
| 2000 | 4,290 |
| 2001 | 4,405 |
| 2002 | 4,570 |
| 2003 | 4,612 |
| 2004 | 4,753 |
| 2005 | 4,862 |
| 2006 | 4,916 |
| 2007 | 4,917 |
| 2008 | 5,025 |
| 2009 | 5,023 |
| 2010 | 4,993 |
| 2011 | 4,978 |
| 2012 | 4,983 |
| 2013 | 5,051 |
| 2014 | 5,201 |
| 2015 | 5,291 |
| 2016 | 5,546 |
| 2017 | 5,802 |
| 2018 | 5,815 |
| 2019 | 5,977 |
| 2020 | 4,592 |
| 2021 | 5,357 |
| 2022 | 5,771 |
| 2023 | 5,876 |
| 2024 | 5,967 |
| 2025 | 6,170 |
Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,222 | 292 |
| 2022 | 1,198 | 317 |
| 2023 | 1,218 | 301 |
| 2024 | 1,289 | 275 |
| 2025 | 1,319 | 236 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Devon
Unleaded petrol averages 172.0p a litre across 85 filling stations in Devon, 0.5p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.8p, 1.1p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Trago Mills TQ12 161.9p
- Murco Golden Coast Service Station Woolacombe 165.9p
- MFG Morrisons Teignmouth Teignmouth 165.9p
How Devon compares
| Devon | 520 | 3.5% | 176 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West | 509 | 5.2% | 157 |
| 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 Devon
There are 3 DVSA car practical test centres in Devon, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 53.8% at Newton Abbot.
- Newton Abbot 53.8% pass rate, 2025/26
- Barnstaple 51.4% pass rate, 2025/26
- Exeter 46.8% pass rate, 2025/26
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 Devon
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Exeter | 357 | 5.2% | 259 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Hams | 572 | 3.9% | 145 |
| East Devon | 546 | 3.4% | 200 |
| Teignbridge | 551 | 3.3% | 147 |
| Mid Devon | 562 | 3.1% | 91 |
| West Devon | 564 | 3.1% | 178 |
| North Devon | 518 | 2.7% | 208 |
| Torridge | 555 | 2.6% | 107 |
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 | 650,896 licensed vehicles in Devon | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 31,153 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 |
- Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Devon 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.
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.