South West · District council
Forest of Dean motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in the Forest of Dean, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how the Forest of Dean compares with the South West. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 54,047 +1.0% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 581 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 1,851 3.4% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.0% 174th lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 174 194 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 3.6% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in the Forest of Dean?
There were 54,047 licensed cars in the Forest of Dean at the end of June 2026, and 71,785 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 18.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 581 for every 1,000 residents, 18th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in the Forest of Dean
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 58,015 | 45,444 |
| 2011 | 58,312 | 45,746 |
| 2012 | 59,013 | 46,380 |
| 2013 | 59,758 | 46,945 |
| 2014 | 60,953 | 47,919 |
| 2015 | 61,422 | 48,397 |
| 2016 | 62,885 | 49,374 |
| 2017 | 64,615 | 50,443 |
| 2018 | 65,207 | 50,901 |
| 2019 | 158,915 | 119,165 |
| 2020 | 146,757 | 111,025 |
| 2021 | 69,169 | 53,511 |
| 2022 | 68,448 | 52,364 |
| 2023 | 69,317 | 52,727 |
| 2024 | 70,087 | 53,190 |
| 2025 | 70,882 | 53,538 |
| 2026 | 71,785 | 54,047 |
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 | Forest of Dean | South West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 557 | 524 | – |
| 2012 | 563 | 527 | – |
| 2013 | 568 | 533 | – |
| 2014 | 575 | 541 | – |
| 2015 | 574 | 546 | 473 |
| 2016 | 580 | 550 | 480 |
| 2017 | 590 | 565 | 488 |
| 2018 | 591 | 569 | 490 |
| 2019 | 1,381 | 580 | 493 |
| 2020 | 1,284 | 573 | 489 |
| 2021 | 614 | 575 | 493 |
| 2022 | 596 | 571 | 489 |
| 2023 | 592 | 570 | 489 |
| 2024 | 593 | 571 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in the Forest of Dean
51.8% of cars in the Forest of Dean run on petrol and 37.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 45.6% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 5.5%, and cars that plug in 4.9%.
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 | 64.9% | 34.8% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 63.2% | 36.4% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 61.6% | 37.9% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 60.2% | 39.4% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 58.2% | 41.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 56.9% | 42.6% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 55.5% | 43.9% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 54.5% | 44.7% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 53.8% | 45.3% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 52.5% | 44.3% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| 2020 | 49.8% | 44.5% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 1.8% |
| 2021 | 52.1% | 45.6% | 1.1% | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| 2022 | 52.7% | 44.0% | 1.7% | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| 2023 | 52.7% | 42.8% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 0.7% |
| 2024 | 52.6% | 41.3% | 3.1% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| 2025 | 52.3% | 39.6% | 4.2% | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| 2026 | 51.8% | 37.5% | 5.5% | 3.4% | 1.5% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in the Forest of Dean
1,851 battery electric cars were licensed in the Forest of Dean at the end of June 2026, 3.4% of all cars, 129th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,646 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,308.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.0% are battery electric (1,564 cars), 10th highest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 15.5% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.6% of its cars overall. There are also 56 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 | Forest of Dean | South West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | 2.3% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | 3.5% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 1.8% | 4.4% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.4% | 5.4% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 3.4% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in the Forest of Dean
There were 174 public chargers in the Forest of Dean on 1 July 2026, 25 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 194 for every 100,000 residents, 99th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 3.0% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 13.1 privately kept plug-in cars in the Forest of Dean (UK 12.9), 124th 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 | 169 | 25 |
| Apr 2026 | 173 | 25 |
| Jul 2026 | 174 | 25 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Forest of Dean | 194 | 28 |
| Gloucestershire | 210 | 49 |
| South West | 157 | 50 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
The Forest of Dean has 10 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.7%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest of Dean 010 | 5,545 | 206 | 3.7% |
| Forest of Dean 001 | 8,453 | 236 | 2.8% |
| Forest of Dean 006 | 4,248 | 118 | 2.8% |
| Forest of Dean 005 | 5,536 | 151 | 2.7% |
| Forest of Dean 009 | 8,103 | 220 | 2.7% |
| Forest of Dean 002 | 4,768 | 113 | 2.4% |
| Forest of Dean 008 | 6,550 | 160 | 2.4% |
| Forest of Dean 003 | 5,883 | 115 | 2.0% |
| Forest of Dean 007 | 7,694 | 145 | 1.9% |
| Forest of Dean 004 | 8,548 | 139 | 1.6% |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in the Forest of Dean
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 109 | 42 |
| 2022 | 124 | 48 |
| 2023 | 142 | 52 |
| 2024 | 134 | 34 |
| 2025 | 103 | 33 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Forest of Dean
Unleaded petrol averages 171.3p a litre across 8 filling stations in Forest of Dean, 0.2p below the UK average. Diesel averages 198.2p, 0.5p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Cross Hands Garage Ltd Forest of Dean 168.9p
- Gulf Newent Fuel Express Automat Newent 169.7p
- Texaco Highleadon Filling Station Limited Newent 169.9p
How the Forest of Dean compares
| Forest of Dean | 581 | 3.4% | 194 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucestershire | 541 | 4.0% | 210 |
| South West | 509 | 5.2% | 157 |
| 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 the Forest of Dean
There is no DVSA car practical test centre in the Forest of Dean. The nearest centres are elsewhere in Gloucestershire.
Centres in Gloucestershire:
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 Gloucestershire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Stroud | 589 | 4.6% | 199 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tewkesbury | 567 | 4.5% | 157 |
| Cotswold | 606 | 4.2% | 310 |
| Cheltenham | 466 | 3.9% | 272 |
| Forest of Dean | 581 | 3.4% | 194 |
| Gloucester | 465 | 3.3% | 149 |
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 | 71,785 licensed vehicles in Forest of Dean | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 2,736 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 the Forest of Dean 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.