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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
300,448 licensed vehicles in Dorset
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 231,654 +0.9% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 571 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 7,106 3.1% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.6% 158th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 766 196 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 3.8% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Dorset?

There were 231,654 licensed cars in Dorset at the end of March 2026, and 300,448 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 15.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 571 for every 1,000 residents, 20th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).

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 251,066201,436
2011 253,183202,789
2012 255,112203,807
2013 256,720205,198
2014 260,670208,187
2015 264,000210,376
2016 269,617214,175
2017 274,268217,485
2018 276,699218,836
2019 280,296220,547
2020 282,972222,724
2021 285,014222,196
2022 290,523224,068
2023 293,003225,289
2024 295,931227,470
2025 298,221229,547
2026 300,448231,654

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, 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

56.5% of cars in Dorset run on petrol and 32.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 38.2% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.3%, and cars that plug in 4.6%.

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 Dorset, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 70.9%28.7%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 69.2%30.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 67.6%32.0%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 66.0%33.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 64.3%35.2%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 63.0%36.4%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 61.9%37.4%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 61.1%38.1%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2018 60.7%38.2%0.6%0.1%0.2%
2019 60.8%38.0%0.8%0.2%0.2%
2020 60.7%37.7%0.9%0.3%0.3%
2021 60.2%37.5%1.3%0.5%0.4%
2022 59.5%37.0%1.9%0.8%0.6%
2023 58.9%36.3%2.6%1.2%0.7%
2024 58.3%35.2%3.6%1.6%0.9%
2025 57.5%33.9%4.9%2.2%1.2%
2026 56.5%32.3%6.3%3.1%1.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Dorset

7,106 battery electric cars were licensed in Dorset at the end of March 2026, 3.1% of all cars, 128th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 10,647 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 5,119.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.6% are battery electric (5,730 cars), 13th highest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 19.4% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.8% of its cars overall. There are also 317 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 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.4%0.3%
2021 0.5%1.0%0.7%
2022 0.8%2.1%1.3%
2023 1.2%3.2%2.1%
2024 1.6%4.2%3.0%
2025 2.2%5.2%4.1%
2026 3.1%4.9%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 12.0 privately kept plug-in cars in Dorset (UK 11.9), 121st 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, 2.3% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.8%. 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 015 6,315 242 3.8% 6.3%
Dorset 017 4,785 177 3.7% 5.5%
Dorset 024 7,163 227 3.2% 5.3%
Dorset 010 5,619 156 2.8% 4.5%
Dorset 012 5,583 156 2.8% 4.5%
Dorset 036 6,536 181 2.8% 3.9%
Dorset 029 6,191 166 2.7% 4.3%
Dorset 032 3,962 107 2.7% 4.3%
Dorset 009 6,531 173 2.6% 4.2%
Dorset 022 10,127 267 2.6% 3.8%
Lowest electric shares
Dorset 048 4,680 43 0.9% 1.9%
Dorset 046 3,411 32 0.9% 1.8%
Dorset 044 4,272 40 0.9% 1.9%
Dorset 038 4,574 49 1.1% 1.9%
Dorset 047 2,881 34 1.2% 1.9%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 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 173.5p a litre across 55 filling stations in Dorset, 1.8p above the UK average. Diesel averages 195.9p, 1.3p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Texaco Portland Portland 168.9p
  2. Sainsbury's Weymouth Weymouth 168.9p
  3. Tesco Shaftesbury Superstore Shaftesbury 168.9p

Every filling station and price in Dorset

How Dorset compares

Dorset compared with the South West, England, the UK
Dorset 571 3.1% 2.6% 3.8% 196 12.0
South West 506 4.9% 2.6% 9.6% 157 13.3
England 437 5.8% 2.9% 10.6% 173 12.4
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 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 520 19.1% 3.1% 36.8% 162 15.8
Wiltshire 552 8.4% 2.9% 24.1% 117 18.3
Exeter 355 4.5% 2.5% 34.1% 259 5.4
Stroud 585 4.2% 3.8% 3.4% 199 15.6
Tewkesbury 564 4.1% 3.5% 3.7% 157 22.2
Cotswold 602 4.0% 3.4% 3.7% 310 10.6
Bath and North East Somerset 449 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 90 26.8
North Somerset 546 3.9% 3.2% 4.4% 107 28.4
Cheltenham 464 3.6% 3.0% 3.5% 272 9.4
South Hams 568 3.6% 3.0% 3.8% 145 16.6
Swindon 468 3.5% 2.7% 5.6% 138 16.6
Isles of Scilly 233 3.3% 1.3% 5.0% 676 0.5
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 472 3.1% 2.5% 4.0% 112 17.1
Dorset 571 3.1% 2.6% 3.8% 196 12.0
East Devon 542 3.1% 2.7% 3.4% 200 11.5
Forest of Dean 576 3.1% 2.7% 3.6% 194 11.9
Gloucester 463 3.0% 2.4% 4.5% 149 12.6
Teignbridge 547 3.0% 2.5% 3.7% 147 13.9
Bristol 360 2.8% 2.1% 4.7% 99 15.0
Mid Devon 557 2.8% 2.4% 3.9% 91 22.8
Somerset 555 2.8% 2.4% 3.7% 137 14.6
Cornwall 523 2.7% 2.2% 4.4% 235 7.5
West Devon 561 2.7% 2.4% 3.5% 178 11.7
North Devon 514 2.5% 2.0% 4.2% 208 7.8
Torridge 550 2.4% 2.0% 4.5% 107 15.6
Torbay 467 2.3% 1.8% 4.7% 97 13.6
Plymouth 424 2.1% 1.5% 4.6% 162 6.6

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 300,448 licensed vehicles in Dorset 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 11,178 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 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.