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Dundee motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
69,221 licensed vehicles in Dundee
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 59,863 +1.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 373 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 2,438 4.1% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.2% 159th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 707 472 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 6.6% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Dundee?

There were 59,863 licensed cars in Dundee at the end of June 2026, and 69,221 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 18.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 373 for every 1,000 residents, 52nd lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Dundee

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Dundee at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 58,15950,724
2011 58,27550,929
2012 58,43251,022
2013 59,12851,770
2014 60,17452,879
2015 60,40353,192
2016 61,45154,232
2017 63,26255,295
2018 64,08756,041
2019 64,96256,731
2020 64,19156,000
2021 66,04657,090
2022 66,10856,974
2023 66,57457,406
2024 67,57958,433
2025 68,39759,123
2026 69,22159,863

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, Dundee compared
Year DundeeScotlandUnited Kingdom
2011 346429–
2012 346430–
2013 351436–
2014 359443–
2015 361446473
2016 368450480
2017 374457488
2018 379461490
2019 383465493
2020 378462489
2021 389469493
2022 384466489
2023 383465489
2024 390468490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Dundee

61.9% of cars in Dundee run on petrol and 23.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 34.6% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.9%, and cars that plug in 5.8%.

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 Dundee, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 77.7%22.1%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 75.4%24.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 73.8%25.9%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 71.8%27.7%0.3%0.1%0.0%
2014 69.9%29.6%0.3%0.2%0.0%
2015 68.4%31.0%0.3%0.2%0.0%
2016 66.8%32.4%0.4%0.2%0.0%
2017 65.4%33.7%0.4%0.3%0.1%
2018 64.3%34.6%0.5%0.4%0.1%
2019 64.3%34.3%0.7%0.5%0.1%
2020 64.2%34.2%0.9%0.6%0.2%
2021 63.9%33.4%1.4%0.8%0.3%
2022 63.4%32.3%2.4%1.3%0.4%
2023 63.5%30.8%3.4%1.6%0.5%
2024 63.6%28.2%4.8%2.3%0.8%
2025 63.1%25.7%6.9%3.0%1.0%
2026 61.9%23.1%8.9%4.1%1.7%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Dundee

2,438 battery electric cars were licensed in Dundee at the end of June 2026, 4.1% of all cars, 145th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,449 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,765.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.2% are battery electric (1,795 cars), 16th lowest of 32 councils in Scotland. Companies keep 26.4% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 6.6% of its cars overall. There are also 163 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, Dundee compared, end of March each year
Year DundeeScotlandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.2%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.3%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.4%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.5%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.6%0.3%0.4%
2021 0.8%0.7%0.8%
2022 1.3%1.2%1.5%
2023 1.6%1.9%2.3%
2024 2.3%2.5%3.2%
2025 3.0%3.4%4.4%
2026 4.1%4.5%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Dundee

There were 707 public chargers in Dundee on 1 July 2026, 179 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 472 for every 100,000 residents, 17th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 6.2% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 3.7 privately kept plug-in cars in Dundee (UK 12.9), 15th 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 Dundee by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 666169
Apr 2026 709179
Jul 2026 707179

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Dundee compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Dundee 472119
Scotland 23259
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Road traffic and collisions in Dundee

Vehicles travelled an estimated 539 million miles on roads in Dundee in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Dundee
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 473
1994 477
1995 483
1996 488
1997 490
1998 496
1999 502
2000 505
2001 505
2002 524
2003 524
2004 528
2005 530
2006 540
2007 553
2008 550
2009 539
2010 512
2011 510
2012 511
2013 503
2014 503
2015 502
2016 514
2017 515
2018 523
2019 524
2020 420
2021 479
2022 522
2023 530
2024 540
2025 539

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Dundee, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 11339
2022 13539
2023 13946
2024 12655
2025 13851

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Dundee

Unleaded petrol averages 171.6p a litre across 7 filling stations in Dundee, 0.1p above the UK average. Diesel averages 196.9p, 1.8p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Dundee Kirkton Superstore Dundee 169.7p
  2. MFG Morrisons Dundee Dundee 169.9p
  3. Tesco Dundee Extra Dundee 170.9p

Every filling station and price in Dundee

Roadworks in Dundee

The Scottish Road Works Register lists 367 sets of roadworks in Dundee, of which 82 are under way and 285 are planned. 75 of them close a road, a lane, a slip road or the hard shoulder. Dundee City Council is behind the most, 216 of them (58.9%). From the extract of 30 October 2026.

Works most likely to hold you up

  • Broughty Ferry Road, Dundee

    Road closed Under way, until 31 Dec 2027 Dundee City Council

    Emergency Road Closure

  • Dens Road, Dundee

    Road closed Under way, until 14 Nov 2026 SGN

    Essential checks to investigate a reported gas escape

  • Strathmartine Road, Dundee

    Lane closed Under way, until 21 Nov 2026 SGN

    Essential checks to investigate a reported gas escape

  • Reform Street, Dundee

    Road closed Under way, until 25 Nov 2026 Scottish Water

    3.6 mtr deep dig on footpath, 150 trap that cannot be cleared

  • Brackens Road, Dundee

    Road closed Under way, until 6 Nov 2026 SGN

    Gas mains replacement

  • Liff Road, Dundee

    Road closed Under way, until 4 Nov 2026 Scottish Hydro Electric Power Dis

    Cable track along Liff Road footway. Full lane closure with temp traffic lights. Ped walkway or ped crossings will be provided.

  • Explorer Road, Dundee Technology Park

    Road closed Under way, until 31 Oct 2026 Jet Infrastructure Limited

    Road closure for telecoms tower install

  • Magdalen Yard Road, Dundee

    Road closed Under way, until 6 Nov 2026 Scottish Water

    Tm for 4131847

  • Sherbrook Street, Dundee

    Road closed Under way, until 9 Nov 2026 Dundee City Council

    Carriageway Resurfacing

  • Sherbrook Gardens, Dundee

    Road closed Under way, until 9 Nov 2026 Dundee City Council

    Carriageway resurfacing

Who is digging

  • Dundee City Council 216
  • Scottish Water 51
  • BT 28
  • SGN 28
  • Scottish Hydro Electric Power Dis 23

How traffic is managed

  • No obstruction 134
  • Give and take 79
  • Road closed 70
  • Temporary traffic lights 46
  • Footway only 19

The register publishes one extract a day, so works can start, finish or change after it is taken. Roadworks across Scotland.

Source:SRWR Extract of 2026-10-30 Updated

How Dundee compares

Dundee compared with Scotland, the UK
Dundee 373 4.1% 3.2% 6.6% 472 3.7
Scotland 439 4.5% 3.3% 7.8% 232 9.7
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 Dundee

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Dundee, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 57.3% at Dundee.

Other centres in Scotland:

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 Scotland

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

Councils in Scotland
Stirling 471 14.8% 4.5% 32.2% 511 6.0
Renfrewshire 439 12.8% 3.5% 34.8% 243 10.1
East Renfrewshire 475 5.5% 4.9% 4.3% 82 43.0
East Dunbartonshire 482 5.1% 4.5% 4.0% 103 32.4
West Lothian 481 4.9% 4.3% 5.6% 137 21.7
East Lothian 476 4.8% 4.4% 4.4% 600 5.1
Edinburgh 326 4.5% 3.6% 5.2% 192 9.7
Midlothian 465 4.5% 4.1% 5.1% 223 12.7
Orkney Islands 496 4.5% 4.0% 5.2% 386 7.3
South Lanarkshire 465 4.5% 3.9% 6.2% 182 15.3
Perth and Kinross 510 4.4% 3.9% 5.1% 363 8.3
Dundee 373 4.1% 3.2% 6.6% 472 3.7
North Lanarkshire 436 4.0% 3.4% 7.2% 168 13.7
Falkirk 495 3.9% 3.3% 5.4% 163 15.2
Fife 481 3.9% 3.4% 4.8% 132 18.2
South Ayrshire 483 3.9% 3.4% 5.1% 205 12.2
Aberdeenshire 533 3.8% 3.3% 4.3% 162 17.8
East Ayrshire 469 3.6% 3.1% 6.0% 229 9.6
Glasgow 309 3.5% 2.4% 9.6% 180 6.8
North Ayrshire 458 3.5% 3.0% 5.9% 199 10.6
Angus 507 3.4% 3.0% 4.7% 221 10.7
Clackmannanshire 496 3.4% 3.0% 4.9% 205 10.9
Aberdeen 399 3.3% 2.8% 4.4% 192 10.2
Scottish Borders 510 3.2% 2.9% 4.8% 224 10.4
Inverclyde 426 2.9% 2.5% 5.6% 237 7.5
West Dunbartonshire 421 2.9% 2.4% 6.7% 204 8.3
Argyll and Bute 474 2.8% 2.4% 4.7% 396 5.1
Highland 500 2.8% 2.3% 5.0% 387 5.0
Moray 507 2.8% 2.3% 4.5% 153 13.3
Dumfries and Galloway 514 2.4% 2.0% 5.7% 549 3.2
Shetland Islands 476 2.2% 1.7% 9.1% 323 4.3
Na h-Eileanan Siar 507 1.6% 1.3% 4.2% 515 2.4

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 69,221 licensed vehicles in Dundee 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 3,685 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 Dundee 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.
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.