South East · District council
Dover motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Dover, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Dover compares with the South East. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 62,085 +1.4% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 497 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 1,710 2.8% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.3% 103rd lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 164 137 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 4.2% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in Dover?
There were 62,085 licensed cars in Dover at the end of March 2026, and 75,953 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 22.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 497 for every 1,000 residents, 165th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Dover
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60,787 | 50,752 |
| 2011 | 61,222 | 51,207 |
| 2012 | 61,448 | 51,335 |
| 2013 | 61,823 | 51,702 |
| 2014 | 63,058 | 52,717 |
| 2015 | 63,752 | 53,388 |
| 2016 | 65,308 | 54,656 |
| 2017 | 67,006 | 55,873 |
| 2018 | 67,918 | 56,579 |
| 2019 | 69,331 | 57,478 |
| 2020 | 70,531 | 58,496 |
| 2021 | 71,177 | 58,520 |
| 2022 | 72,300 | 59,204 |
| 2023 | 72,857 | 59,553 |
| 2024 | 73,682 | 60,181 |
| 2025 | 74,919 | 61,245 |
| 2026 | 75,953 | 62,085 |
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.
| Year | Dover | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 460 | 534 | – |
| 2012 | 463 | 535 | – |
| 2013 | 467 | 541 | – |
| 2014 | 475 | 547 | – |
| 2015 | 478 | 551 | 473 |
| 2016 | 485 | 559 | 480 |
| 2017 | 493 | 567 | 488 |
| 2018 | 495 | 570 | 490 |
| 2019 | 499 | 572 | 493 |
| 2020 | 500 | 561 | 489 |
| 2021 | 509 | 564 | 493 |
| 2022 | 506 | 565 | 489 |
| 2023 | 505 | 567 | 489 |
| 2024 | 507 | 570 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Dover
55.9% of cars in Dover run on petrol and 33.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.1% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.0%, and cars that plug in 4.3%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72.8% | 26.9% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 70.9% | 28.7% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 69.3% | 30.4% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 67.5% | 32.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 65.5% | 34.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 64.1% | 35.4% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 62.6% | 36.8% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 61.7% | 37.6% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 60.8% | 38.3% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 60.2% | 38.6% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2020 | 59.6% | 38.9% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 59.0% | 39.1% | 1.2% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| 2022 | 58.2% | 38.9% | 1.7% | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| 2023 | 57.9% | 37.9% | 2.4% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| 2024 | 57.0% | 37.2% | 3.4% | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| 2025 | 56.6% | 35.4% | 4.7% | 2.0% | 1.1% |
| 2026 | 55.9% | 33.6% | 6.0% | 2.8% | 1.5% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Dover
1,710 battery electric cars were licensed in Dover at the end of March 2026, 2.8% of all cars, 81st lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,657 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,199.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.3% are battery electric (1,373 cars), 12th lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 19.7% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.2% of its cars overall. There are also 52 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 | Dover | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | 3.0% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 2.0% | 5.7% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 2.8% | 8.7% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Dover
There were 164 public chargers in Dover on 1 July 2026, 73 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 137 for every 100,000 residents, 173rd lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 5.1% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 13.6 privately kept plug-in cars in Dover (UK 11.9), 143rd 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 | 156 | 73 |
| Apr 2026 | 164 | 73 |
| Jul 2026 | 164 | 73 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Dover | 137 | 61 |
| Kent | 128 | 44 |
| South East | 159 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Dover has 14 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.2% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.2%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover 009 | 5,080 | 163 | 3.2% | |
| Dover 010 | 6,856 | 202 | 2.9% | |
| Dover 006 | 5,587 | 140 | 2.5% | |
| Dover 008 | 5,079 | 127 | 2.5% | |
| Dover 001 | 5,719 | 138 | 2.4% | |
| Dover 003 | 4,169 | 94 | 2.3% | |
| Dover 002 | 6,430 | 144 | 2.2% | |
| Dover 014 | 4,705 | 91 | 1.9% | |
| Dover 007 | 4,252 | 78 | 1.8% | |
| Dover 005 | 5,318 | 89 | 1.7% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Dover 011 | 5,853 | 14 | 0.2% | |
| Dover 012 | 3,587 | 37 | 1.0% | |
| Dover 004 | 3,211 | 46 | 1.4% | |
| Dover 005 | 5,318 | 89 | 1.7% | |
| Dover 007 | 4,252 | 78 | 1.8% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 1 neighbourhood is left out because DfT withholds small counts there.
Road traffic and collisions in Dover
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 229 | 51 |
| 2022 | 232 | 54 |
| 2023 | 225 | 53 |
| 2024 | 196 | 57 |
| 2025 | 199 | 63 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Dover
Unleaded petrol averages 174.9p a litre across 12 filling stations in Dover, 3.2p above the UK average. Diesel averages 197.1p, 2.5p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Richborough Service Station Sandwich 168.9p
- Shell Asda Discovery Park Express Petrol Sandwich 172.9p
- Shell Casino Canterbury 172.9p
How Dover compares
| Dover | 497 | 2.8% | 137 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | 495 | 3.4% | 128 |
| South East | 496 | 8.7% | 159 |
| England | 437 | 5.8% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 441 | 5.4% | 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 March 2026.
Councils in Kent
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Sevenoaks | 551 | 4.3% | 95 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartford | 441 | 4.2% | 194 |
| Tonbridge and Malling | 530 | 4.1% | 128 |
| Tunbridge Wells | 515 | 3.8% | 113 |
| Ashford | 511 | 3.5% | 145 |
| Canterbury | 454 | 3.5% | 162 |
| Maidstone | 515 | 3.4% | 83 |
| Gravesham | 461 | 3.0% | 78 |
| Dover | 497 | 2.8% | 137 |
| Swale | 493 | 2.8% | 107 |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 494 | 2.7% | 211 |
| Thanet | 457 | 2.6% | 98 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 75,953 licensed vehicles in Dover | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 2,739 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 Dover 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.