East of England · District council
East Hertfordshire motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in East Hertfordshire, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how East Hertfordshire compares with the East of England. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 86,345 +0.6% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 529 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 3,821 4.4% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.7% 80th highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 211 135 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 3.8% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in East Hertfordshire?
There were 86,345 licensed cars in East Hertfordshire at the end of June 2026, and 102,485 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 14.6% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 529 for every 1,000 residents, 105th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in East Hertfordshire
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 88,616 | 75,358 |
| 2011 | 89,439 | 76,049 |
| 2012 | 89,832 | 76,448 |
| 2013 | 91,759 | 77,217 |
| 2014 | 93,448 | 78,622 |
| 2015 | 93,429 | 79,491 |
| 2016 | 94,864 | 80,599 |
| 2017 | 96,907 | 82,208 |
| 2018 | 97,125 | 82,511 |
| 2019 | 98,295 | 83,437 |
| 2020 | 98,250 | 83,521 |
| 2021 | 99,680 | 84,105 |
| 2022 | 99,680 | 84,090 |
| 2023 | 100,302 | 84,577 |
| 2024 | 101,331 | 85,490 |
| 2025 | 101,764 | 85,797 |
| 2026 | 102,485 | 86,345 |
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.
| Year | East Hertfordshire | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 551 | 503 | – |
| 2012 | 549 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 550 | 505 | – |
| 2014 | 554 | 524 | – |
| 2015 | 555 | 529 | 473 |
| 2016 | 557 | 537 | 480 |
| 2017 | 564 | 544 | 488 |
| 2018 | 565 | 542 | 490 |
| 2019 | 566 | 541 | 493 |
| 2020 | 560 | 536 | 489 |
| 2021 | 558 | 539 | 493 |
| 2022 | 554 | 532 | 489 |
| 2023 | 550 | 529 | 489 |
| 2024 | 545 | 531 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in East Hertfordshire
61.6% of cars in East Hertfordshire run on petrol and 22.0% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 34.6% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.7%, and cars that plug in 7.1%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.3% | 25.2% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 72.4% | 27.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 70.6% | 28.7% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 69.0% | 30.3% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 67.4% | 31.8% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 65.9% | 33.2% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 64.7% | 34.2% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 64.0% | 34.6% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2018 | 63.9% | 34.4% | 1.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2019 | 64.2% | 33.7% | 1.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| 2020 | 64.4% | 33.0% | 1.6% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| 2021 | 64.3% | 31.9% | 2.2% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 64.0% | 30.5% | 2.8% | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| 2023 | 64.2% | 28.5% | 3.8% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| 2024 | 63.9% | 26.2% | 5.3% | 2.6% | 1.6% |
| 2025 | 62.9% | 24.2% | 6.9% | 3.3% | 2.1% |
| 2026 | 61.6% | 22.0% | 8.7% | 4.4% | 2.7% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in East Hertfordshire
3,821 battery electric cars were licensed in East Hertfordshire at the end of June 2026, 4.4% of all cars, 108th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 6,149 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,873.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.7% are battery electric (3,097 cars), 11th highest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 18.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.8% of its cars overall. There are also 124 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 Hertfordshire | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.9% | 1.9% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 2.6% | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 3.3% | 4.1% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 4.4% | 5.6% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in East Hertfordshire
There were 211 public chargers in East Hertfordshire on 1 July 2026, 30 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 135 for every 100,000 residents, 165th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 2.3% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 24.6 privately kept plug-in cars in East Hertfordshire (UK 12.9), 90th most 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 | 216 | 30 |
| Apr 2026 | 216 | 30 |
| Jul 2026 | 211 | 30 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| East Hertfordshire | 135 | 19 |
| Hertfordshire | 208 | 57 |
| East of England | 150 | 49 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
East Hertfordshire has 18 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.3% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.8%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Hertfordshire 003 | 7,758 | 373 | 4.8% | |
| East Hertfordshire 008 | 5,818 | 264 | 4.5% | |
| East Hertfordshire 004 | 3,787 | 146 | 3.9% | |
| East Hertfordshire 009 | 4,794 | 183 | 3.8% | |
| East Hertfordshire 010 | 5,567 | 212 | 3.8% | |
| East Hertfordshire 011 | 5,774 | 209 | 3.6% | |
| East Hertfordshire 019 | 6,512 | 234 | 3.6% | |
| East Hertfordshire 001 | 6,651 | 220 | 3.3% | |
| East Hertfordshire 005 | 4,427 | 145 | 3.3% | |
| East Hertfordshire 016 | 3,382 | 110 | 3.3% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| East Hertfordshire 012 | 5,881 | 126 | 2.1% | |
| East Hertfordshire 007 | 5,272 | 129 | 2.4% | |
| East Hertfordshire 013 | 4,812 | 131 | 2.7% | |
| East Hertfordshire 015 | 3,361 | 94 | 2.8% | |
| East Hertfordshire 018 | 5,809 | 179 | 3.1% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in East Hertfordshire
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 193 | 51 |
| 2022 | 186 | 38 |
| 2023 | 190 | 40 |
| 2024 | 191 | 41 |
| 2025 | 157 | 33 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in East Hertfordshire
Unleaded petrol averages 177.0p a litre across 7 filling stations in East Hertfordshire, 5.5p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Esso MFG Hertford Hertford 172.9p
- BP MFG Buntingford Buntingford 176.9p
- Esso MFG Howe Green Buntingford 176.9p
How East Hertfordshire compares
| East Hertfordshire | 529 | 4.4% | 135 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hertfordshire | 488 | 4.6% | 208 |
| East of England | 501 | 5.6% | 150 |
| England | 440 | 6.2% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 444 | 5.8% | 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 June 2026.
Driving test centres in East Hertfordshire
There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in East Hertfordshire, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 51.3% at Bishops Stortford.
Other centres in Hertfordshire:
- Letchworth 57.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Stevenage 55.3% pass rate, 2025/26
- Borehamwood (London) 50.8% pass rate, 2025/26
- St Albans 50.7% pass rate, 2025/26
- Watford 46.2% pass rate, 2025/26
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 Hertfordshire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| St Albans | 503 | 5.8% | 111 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hertsmere | 469 | 5.7% | 229 |
| Three Rivers | 513 | 5.1% | 161 |
| North Hertfordshire | 515 | 4.7% | 117 |
| East Hertfordshire | 529 | 4.4% | 135 |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 458 | 4.4% | 350 |
| Dacorum | 508 | 4.2% | 159 |
| Watford | 398 | 4.0% | 563 |
| Broxbourne | 486 | 3.4% | 153 |
| Stevenage | 450 | 3.1% | 194 |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 102,485 licensed vehicles in East Hertfordshire | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 6,412 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 East Hertfordshire 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.