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Dorset motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
304,239 licensed vehicles in Dorset
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 233,494 +1.0% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 576 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 7,850 3.4% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.9% 156th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 766 196 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 3.8% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Dorset?

There were 233,494 licensed cars in Dorset at the end of June 2026, and 304,239 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 15.1% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 576 for every 1,000 residents, 20th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Dorset

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Dorset at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 253,827202,937
2011 255,556203,825
2012 257,024204,708
2013 260,027207,167
2014 264,850210,457
2015 267,303211,982
2016 271,588215,081
2017 276,649218,494
2018 279,123219,782
2019 283,624222,285
2020 281,278220,594
2021 290,137224,691
2022 292,994225,145
2023 296,038226,888
2024 299,105229,058
2025 301,390231,183
2026 304,239233,494

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, Dorset compared
Year DorsetSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 557524–
2012 558527–
2013 564533–
2014 571541–
2015 572546473
2016 578550480
2017 583565488
2018 585569490
2019 589580493
2020 584573489
2021 589575493
2022 587571489
2023 588570489
2024 587571490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Dorset

56.4% of cars in Dorset run on petrol and 31.7% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 38.1% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.6%, and cars that plug in 5.0%.

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 Dorset, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 70.6%29.0%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 68.9%30.7%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 67.3%32.3%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 65.8%33.8%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 64.1%35.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 62.9%36.5%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 61.8%37.6%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 61.1%38.1%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2018 60.9%38.0%0.7%0.2%0.2%
2019 60.9%37.8%0.8%0.2%0.2%
2020 60.6%37.7%1.0%0.3%0.3%
2021 60.2%37.2%1.5%0.6%0.4%
2022 59.5%36.7%2.1%0.9%0.6%
2023 58.9%36.0%2.8%1.3%0.8%
2024 58.3%34.8%3.9%1.8%1.0%
2025 57.5%33.4%5.2%2.4%1.3%
2026 56.4%31.7%6.6%3.4%1.6%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Dorset

7,850 battery electric cars were licensed in Dorset at the end of June 2026, 3.4% of all cars, 129th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 11,607 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 5,550.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.9% are battery electric (6,441 cars), 13th highest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 17.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.8% of its cars overall. There are also 376 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, Dorset compared, end of March each year
Year DorsetSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.4%0.4%
2021 0.6%1.2%0.8%
2022 0.9%2.3%1.5%
2023 1.3%3.5%2.3%
2024 1.8%4.4%3.2%
2025 2.4%5.4%4.4%
2026 3.4%5.2%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Dorset

There were 766 public chargers in Dorset on 1 July 2026, 239 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 196 for every 100,000 residents, 92nd highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 5.1% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 12.8 privately kept plug-in cars in Dorset (UK 12.9), 116th 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 Dorset by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 729221
Apr 2026 740225
Jul 2026 766239

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Dorset compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Dorset 19661
South West 15750
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Dorset has 48 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.5% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.2%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Dorset with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Dorset 017 4,837 201 4.2% 6.0%
Dorset 015 6,393 259 4.1% 6.5%
Dorset 024 7,292 252 3.5% 5.6%
Dorset 010 5,660 184 3.3% 5.1%
Dorset 012 5,657 176 3.1% 5.0%
Dorset 032 3,969 119 3.0% 4.7%
Dorset 036 6,682 198 3.0% 4.1%
Dorset 021 5,433 157 2.9% 4.3%
Dorset 023 5,471 157 2.9% 4.0%
Dorset 029 6,291 181 2.9% 4.6%
Lowest electric shares
Dorset 044 4,329 41 0.9% 1.9%
Dorset 048 4,736 52 1.1% 2.2%
Dorset 038 4,633 53 1.1% 2.0%
Dorset 046 3,446 40 1.2% 2.1%
Dorset 047 2,930 39 1.3% 2.2%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Dorset

Vehicles travelled an estimated 2,524 million miles on roads in Dorset in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Dorset
Year Million vehicle miles
2019 2,625
2020 2,043
2021 2,323
2022 2,391
2023 2,462
2024 2,479
2025 2,524

Source:DfT 2019 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Dorset, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 621199
2022 712227
2023 662194
2024 686209
2025 675223

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Dorset

Unleaded petrol averages 173.1p a litre across 39 filling stations in Dorset, 1.6p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.7p, 1.0p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Murco Foleys Garage Swanage 167.9p
  2. Nts Swanage Service Station Swanage 167.9p
  3. St Michaels Garage Ltd (BP) Swanage 167.9p

Every filling station and price in Dorset

How Dorset compares

Dorset compared with the South West, England, the UK
Dorset 576 3.4% 2.9% 3.8% 196 12.8
South West 509 5.2% 2.9% 9.6% 157 14.4
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 Dorset

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Dorset, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 69.0% at Dorchester.

Other centres in the South West:

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 West

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

Councils in the South West
South Gloucestershire 523 18.8% 3.4% 37.0% 162 17.1
Wiltshire 556 8.9% 3.2% 24.3% 117 23.3
Exeter 357 5.2% 2.8% 33.8% 259 5.6
Stroud 589 4.6% 4.1% 3.3% 199 17.4
Tewkesbury 567 4.5% 3.9% 3.7% 157 21.2
North Somerset 549 4.3% 3.6% 4.4% 107 28.3
Bath and North East Somerset 450 4.2% 3.7% 3.5% 90 28.8
Cotswold 606 4.2% 3.7% 3.7% 310 12.0
Cheltenham 466 3.9% 3.4% 3.5% 272 9.0
South Hams 572 3.9% 3.3% 3.7% 145 19.0
Swindon 471 3.8% 3.0% 5.3% 138 16.4
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 475 3.4% 2.8% 4.0% 112 18.3
Dorset 576 3.4% 2.9% 3.8% 196 12.8
East Devon 546 3.4% 3.0% 3.5% 200 12.7
Forest of Dean 581 3.4% 3.0% 3.6% 194 13.1
Gloucester 465 3.3% 2.6% 4.6% 149 12.7
Teignbridge 551 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 147 15.6
Isles of Scilly 238 3.2% 1.2% 5.1% 676 0.6
Mid Devon 562 3.1% 2.7% 3.9% 91 24.9
Somerset 560 3.1% 2.7% 3.7% 137 16.8
West Devon 564 3.1% 2.7% 3.5% 178 13.0
Bristol 362 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 99 13.7
Cornwall 528 3.0% 2.5% 4.4% 235 8.1
North Devon 518 2.7% 2.2% 4.2% 208 9.1
Torbay 469 2.6% 2.0% 4.7% 97 15.4
Torridge 555 2.6% 2.2% 4.5% 107 17.7
Plymouth 426 2.2% 1.7% 4.6% 162 7.3

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 304,239 licensed vehicles in Dorset 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 12,214 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 Dorset 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.