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Fife motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
224,428 licensed vehicles in Fife
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 188,442 +0.6% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 478 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 6,669 3.5% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.0% 136th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 493 132 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.9% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Fife?

There were 188,442 licensed cars in Fife at the end of March 2026, and 224,428 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 14.7% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 478 for every 1,000 residents, 168th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Fife

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Fife at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 191,246164,326
2011 191,808164,968
2012 192,557165,873
2013 193,450166,953
2014 196,598169,651
2015 199,095171,861
2016 202,478174,317
2017 206,736177,279
2018 208,930178,923
2019 211,462180,746
2020 213,623183,224
2021 214,038181,887
2022 215,840182,300
2023 216,815182,627
2024 220,004185,359
2025 222,768187,304
2026 224,428188,442

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, Fife compared
Year FifeScotlandUnited Kingdom
2011 453429–
2012 456430–
2013 460436–
2014 468443–
2015 471446473
2016 473450480
2017 483457488
2018 487461490
2019 491465493
2020 488462489
2021 494469493
2022 493466489
2023 492465489
2024 497468490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Fife

56.9% of cars in Fife run on petrol and 29.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.3% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.1%, and cars that plug in 5.1%.

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 Fife, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 74.1%25.6%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 72.2%27.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 70.3%29.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 68.5%31.1%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 66.5%33.0%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 64.6%34.9%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 62.8%36.6%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 61.2%38.0%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2018 59.9%39.1%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2019 59.6%39.3%0.8%0.2%0.1%
2020 59.2%39.3%0.9%0.3%0.2%
2021 59.0%38.8%1.3%0.4%0.3%
2022 58.8%37.8%2.0%0.8%0.4%
2023 58.7%36.4%2.8%1.2%0.6%
2024 58.5%34.6%4.1%1.7%0.8%
2025 57.9%32.1%6.0%2.5%1.1%
2026 56.9%29.5%8.1%3.5%1.6%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Fife

6,669 battery electric cars were licensed in Fife at the end of March 2026, 3.5% of all cars, 181st lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 9,626 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 4,653.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.0% are battery electric (5,427 cars), 12th highest of 32 councils in Scotland. Companies keep 18.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.9% of its cars overall. There are also 245 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, Fife compared, end of March each year
Year FifeScotlandUnited 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%0.3%0.3%
2021 0.4%0.6%0.7%
2022 0.8%1.1%1.3%
2023 1.2%1.7%2.1%
2024 1.7%2.3%3.0%
2025 2.5%3.2%4.1%
2026 3.5%4.2%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Fife

There were 493 public chargers in Fife on 1 July 2026, 120 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 132 for every 100,000 residents, 159th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 9.1% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 17.2 privately kept plug-in cars in Fife (UK 11.9), 156th most 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 Fife by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 452118
Apr 2026 469123
Jul 2026 493120

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Fife compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Fife 13232
Scotland 23259
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Road traffic and collisions in Fife

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,937 million miles on roads in Fife in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Fife
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 1,409
1994 1,447
1995 1,470
1996 1,509
1997 1,540
1998 1,562
1999 1,568
2000 1,554
2001 1,587
2002 1,674
2003 1,693
2004 1,704
2005 1,681
2006 1,734
2007 1,769
2008 1,755
2009 1,758
2010 1,753
2011 1,749
2012 1,737
2013 1,750
2014 1,799
2015 1,814
2016 1,876
2017 1,928
2018 1,903
2019 1,922
2020 1,469
2021 1,693
2022 1,845
2023 1,886
2024 1,918
2025 1,937

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Fife, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 21778
2022 23386
2023 261103
2024 268103
2025 276127

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Fife

Unleaded petrol averages 172.8p a litre across 35 filling stations in Fife, 1.1p above the UK average. Diesel averages 196.3p, 1.7p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Glenrothes Superstore Glenrothes 167.7p
  2. Tesco Cupar Superstore Cupar 167.9p
  3. MFG Morrisons Glenrothes Glenrothes 168.9p

Every filling station and price in Fife

Roadworks in Fife

The Scottish Road Works Register lists 1,028 sets of roadworks in Fife, of which 274 are under way and 754 are planned. 351 of them close a road, a lane, a slip road or the hard shoulder. Fife Council is behind the most, 462 of them (44.9%). From the extract of 16 September 2026.

Works most likely to hold you up

  • Croft Road, Leslie

    Road closed Under way, until 16 Sept 2026 Scottish Water

    Replace loose, rattling SV cover & 3 other smooth SW covers

  • Kinglassie Road, Glenrothes

    Lane closed Under way, until 17 Sept 2026 SP Energy Networks

    Excavate x5 Joint Bays in the carriageway to install 66kV cable & carryout jointing works for new connection

  • Regents Way Footpath From Regents Way To St Bridges Brae Via Playground With Branches, Dalgety Bay

    Road closed Under way, until 5 Jan 2028 Scottish Water

    Footpath closure in association with new access road creation * Co ordination purpose

  • Sealstrand Footpath From 29 Sealstrand To Moray Way South With Branch, Dalgety Bay

    Road closed Under way, until 30 Oct 2026 Scottish Water

    Traffic Management / Pedestrian Provision - (Co ordination purpose) / Footpath closure

  • Moray Way South, Dalgety Bay

    Road closed Under way, until 3 Nov 2026 Scottish Water

    Exc & lay sewer

  • Dysart Road, Kirkcaldy

    Road closed Under way, until 13 Nov 2026 Scottish Water

    Exc & lay sewer

  • Harriet Street, Kirkcaldy

    Road closed Under way, until 13 Nov 2026 Scottish Water

    Exc & lay sewer

  • Ravenscraig Street, Kirkcaldy

    Road closed Under way, until 13 Nov 2026 Scottish Water

    Exc & lay sewer

  • Balsusney Road, Kirkcaldy

    Road closed Under way, until 1 Jul 2027 Network Rail

    Area at end of road required in relation to rail bridge renewal works on Bennochy Road.

  • Victoria Road, Kirkcaldy

    Lane closed Under way, until 1 Jul 2027 Network Rail

    Traffic management in relation to full closure of Bennochy Road during rail bridge replacement works.

Who is digging

  • Fife Council 462
  • SP Energy Networks 158
  • BT 155
  • Scottish Water 122
  • SGN 85

How traffic is managed

  • Road closed 331
  • Temporary traffic lights 264
  • Give and take 254
  • Footway only 62
  • Road narrowed 30

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 2026-09-16 Updated

How Fife compares

Fife compared with Scotland, the UK
Fife 478 3.5% 3.0% 4.9% 132 17.2
Scotland 436 4.2% 3.0% 7.8% 232 8.9
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 Scotland

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

Councils in Scotland
Stirling 468 13.9% 4.1% 32.1% 511 5.6
Renfrewshire 436 11.9% 3.2% 34.9% 243 9.1
East Renfrewshire 473 5.1% 4.5% 4.2% 82 40.4
East Dunbartonshire 481 4.7% 4.1% 4.0% 103 32.8
East Lothian 472 4.5% 4.0% 4.4% 600 5.0
Orkney Islands 490 4.4% 3.8% 5.0% 386 6.9
West Lothian 479 4.4% 3.8% 5.7% 137 22.2
Edinburgh 325 4.2% 3.3% 5.3% 192 8.6
South Lanarkshire 463 4.2% 3.5% 6.2% 182 14.0
Midlothian 461 4.1% 3.7% 5.1% 223 11.6
Perth and Kinross 506 4.0% 3.5% 5.1% 363 7.6
Dundee 371 3.9% 3.0% 6.7% 472 3.3
North Lanarkshire 434 3.6% 3.0% 7.2% 168 12.1
South Ayrshire 482 3.6% 3.0% 5.3% 205 10.5
Aberdeenshire 528 3.5% 3.0% 4.3% 162 17.8
Falkirk 493 3.5% 2.9% 5.4% 163 13.9
Fife 478 3.5% 3.0% 4.9% 132 17.2
Glasgow 307 3.4% 2.2% 9.7% 180 6.2
East Ayrshire 467 3.3% 2.8% 6.0% 229 9.1
North Ayrshire 457 3.2% 2.7% 5.9% 199 9.2
Aberdeen 396 3.1% 2.5% 4.5% 192 9.6
Clackmannanshire 492 3.1% 2.7% 4.9% 205 9.5
Angus 504 3.0% 2.6% 4.7% 221 9.7
Scottish Borders 506 3.0% 2.6% 4.8% 224 9.6
West Dunbartonshire 420 2.8% 2.3% 6.5% 204 7.7
Inverclyde 425 2.7% 2.3% 5.6% 237 6.8
Moray 501 2.6% 2.1% 4.5% 153 11.7
Argyll and Bute 471 2.5% 2.2% 4.7% 396 4.9
Highland 496 2.5% 2.0% 5.0% 387 4.4
Dumfries and Galloway 510 2.2% 1.8% 5.8% 549 2.9
Shetland Islands 471 1.9% 1.4% 9.1% 323 3.9
Na h-Eileanan Siar 500 1.5% 1.2% 4.1% 515 2.4

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 224,428 licensed vehicles in Fife 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 10,058 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
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Fife 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.