South West · District council
East Devon motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in East Devon, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how East Devon compares with the South West. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 88,869 +1.0% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 542 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 2,774 3.1% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.7% 177th lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 316 200 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 3.4% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in East Devon?
There were 88,869 licensed cars in East Devon at the end of March 2026, and 116,277 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 24.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 542 for every 1,000 residents, 70th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in East Devon
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 89,629 | 71,504 |
| 2011 | 90,487 | 72,095 |
| 2012 | 91,250 | 72,536 |
| 2013 | 92,161 | 73,049 |
| 2014 | 93,990 | 74,287 |
| 2015 | 95,344 | 75,362 |
| 2016 | 98,370 | 77,537 |
| 2017 | 101,304 | 79,535 |
| 2018 | 103,125 | 80,699 |
| 2019 | 105,486 | 82,181 |
| 2020 | 106,911 | 83,409 |
| 2021 | 108,588 | 83,978 |
| 2022 | 110,762 | 85,281 |
| 2023 | 112,548 | 86,350 |
| 2024 | 113,804 | 87,341 |
| 2025 | 114,955 | 88,012 |
| 2026 | 116,277 | 88,869 |
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 | East Devon | South West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 544 | 524 | – |
| 2012 | 543 | 527 | – |
| 2013 | 546 | 533 | – |
| 2014 | 552 | 541 | – |
| 2015 | 550 | 546 | 473 |
| 2016 | 554 | 550 | 480 |
| 2017 | 560 | 565 | 488 |
| 2018 | 560 | 569 | 490 |
| 2019 | 563 | 580 | 493 |
| 2020 | 556 | 573 | 489 |
| 2021 | 560 | 575 | 493 |
| 2022 | 557 | 571 | 489 |
| 2023 | 555 | 570 | 489 |
| 2024 | 556 | 571 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in East Devon
54.8% of cars in East Devon run on petrol and 34.0% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.1% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.1%, and cars that plug in 4.8%.
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 | 70.8% | 28.8% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 69.0% | 30.6% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 67.2% | 32.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 65.5% | 33.9% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 64.0% | 35.4% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 62.6% | 36.6% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 61.4% | 37.7% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 60.5% | 38.5% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 59.9% | 38.8% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2019 | 59.6% | 38.9% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 59.1% | 39.0% | 1.1% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 58.4% | 39.1% | 1.5% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| 2022 | 57.8% | 38.5% | 2.1% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| 2023 | 57.2% | 37.7% | 2.8% | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| 2024 | 56.5% | 36.9% | 3.7% | 1.7% | 1.0% |
| 2025 | 55.7% | 35.5% | 4.9% | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| 2026 | 54.8% | 34.0% | 6.1% | 3.1% | 1.7% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in East Devon
2,774 battery electric cars were licensed in East Devon at the end of March 2026, 3.1% of all cars, 128th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,259 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,988.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.7% are battery electric (2,317 cars), 10th highest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 16.5% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.4% of its cars overall. There are also 105 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 | East 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% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | 3.2% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.7% | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 2.3% | 5.2% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 3.1% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in East Devon
There were 316 public chargers in East Devon on 1 July 2026, 94 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 200 for every 100,000 residents, 87th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 2.9% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 11.5 privately kept plug-in cars in East Devon (UK 11.9), 113th 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 | 307 | 95 |
| Apr 2026 | 319 | 94 |
| Jul 2026 | 316 | 94 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| East Devon | 200 | 59 |
| Devon | 176 | 61 |
| South West | 157 | 50 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
East Devon has 21 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, 3.4%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Devon 021 | 9,096 | 311 | 3.4% | |
| East Devon 008 | 6,804 | 202 | 3.0% | |
| East Devon 014 | 4,092 | 122 | 3.0% | |
| East Devon 022 | 4,120 | 118 | 2.9% | |
| East Devon 012 | 3,096 | 85 | 2.7% | |
| East Devon 007 | 6,667 | 173 | 2.6% | |
| East Devon 020 | 4,934 | 128 | 2.6% | |
| East Devon 017 | 4,191 | 106 | 2.5% | |
| East Devon 004 | 7,359 | 177 | 2.4% | |
| East Devon 009 | 4,315 | 102 | 2.4% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| East Devon 019 | 3,366 | 14 | 0.4% | |
| East Devon 018 | 4,572 | 54 | 1.2% | |
| East Devon 005 | 6,976 | 100 | 1.4% | |
| East Devon 010 | 4,825 | 77 | 1.6% | |
| East Devon 011 | 4,361 | 72 | 1.7% | |
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 East Devon
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 208 | 55 |
| 2022 | 183 | 53 |
| 2023 | 220 | 56 |
| 2024 | 236 | 50 |
| 2025 | 251 | 43 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in East Devon
Unleaded petrol averages 170.3p a litre across 23 filling stations in East Devon, 1.4p below the UK average. Diesel averages 195.1p, 0.5p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Tesco Axminster Superstore Axminster 162.9p
- Lovells Garage Ottery St. Mary 165.9p
- Tesco Seaton Superstore Seaton 165.9p
How East Devon compares
| East Devon | 542 | 3.1% | 200 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devon | 516 | 3.2% | 176 |
| South West | 506 | 4.9% | 157 |
| 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 Devon
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Exeter | 355 | 4.5% | 259 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Hams | 568 | 3.6% | 145 |
| East Devon | 542 | 3.1% | 200 |
| Teignbridge | 547 | 3.0% | 147 |
| Mid Devon | 557 | 2.8% | 91 |
| West Devon | 561 | 2.7% | 178 |
| North Devon | 514 | 2.5% | 208 |
| Torridge | 550 | 2.4% | 107 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 116,277 licensed vehicles in East Devon | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 4,435 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 East 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.
- 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.