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Guildford motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
94,602 licensed vehicles in Guildford
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 79,733 +0.6% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 501 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 4,093 5.1% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.4% 22nd highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 276 182 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.8% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Guildford?

There were 79,733 licensed cars in Guildford at the end of June 2026, and 94,602 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 8.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 501 for every 1,000 residents, 159th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Guildford

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Guildford at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 86,64273,853
2011 87,43474,571
2012 87,79175,030
2013 88,62575,867
2014 89,29076,471
2015 89,82876,788
2016 90,43177,001
2017 91,48777,867
2018 91,82577,798
2019 91,41877,817
2020 89,62276,577
2021 91,05377,324
2022 92,65478,216
2023 93,24878,452
2024 93,96878,970
2025 94,13279,276
2026 94,60279,733

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, Guildford compared
Year GuildfordSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 542534–
2012 544535–
2013 547541–
2014 547547–
2015 542551473
2016 539559480
2017 543567488
2018 546570490
2019 547572493
2020 537561489
2021 537564493
2022 535565489
2023 526567489
2024 522570490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Guildford

61.2% of cars in Guildford run on petrol and 21.7% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 33.5% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.7%, and cars that plug in 7.9%.

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.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Guildford, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 75.8%23.6%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2011 73.7%25.6%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2012 71.8%27.5%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2013 69.8%29.4%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2014 68.3%30.7%0.8%0.0%0.0%
2015 67.0%31.8%0.9%0.1%0.0%
2016 65.5%33.1%1.0%0.1%0.1%
2017 64.9%33.5%1.2%0.1%0.2%
2018 64.7%33.1%1.4%0.2%0.4%
2019 65.0%32.5%1.6%0.3%0.5%
2020 64.9%31.9%1.8%0.5%0.6%
2021 64.8%30.8%2.5%0.9%0.9%
2022 64.2%29.6%3.2%1.5%1.2%
2023 63.9%28.0%4.1%2.3%1.5%
2024 63.5%25.8%5.4%3.0%1.9%
2025 62.6%23.9%6.9%3.9%2.3%
2026 61.2%21.7%8.7%5.1%2.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Guildford

4,093 battery electric cars were licensed in Guildford at the end of June 2026, 5.1% of all cars, 49th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 6,292 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 3,085.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.4% are battery electric (3,331 cars), 7th highest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 18.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.8% of its cars overall. There are also 123 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, Guildford compared, end of March each year
Year GuildfordSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.3%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.5%0.5%0.4%
2021 0.9%1.1%0.8%
2022 1.5%2.2%1.5%
2023 2.3%3.3%2.3%
2024 3.0%4.5%3.2%
2025 3.9%6.4%4.4%
2026 5.1%9.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Guildford

There were 276 public chargers in Guildford on 1 July 2026, 60 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 182 for every 100,000 residents, 109th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 33.3% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 19.1 privately kept plug-in cars in Guildford (UK 12.9), 146th 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 Guildford by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 20749
Apr 2026 25257
Jul 2026 27660

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Guildford compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Guildford 18240
Surrey 18535
South East 15940
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Guildford has 18 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 6.1%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Guildford with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Guildford 016 3,591 219 6.1% 10.1%
Guildford 011 5,854 332 5.7% 8.8%
Guildford 003 7,990 431 5.4% 8.8%
Guildford 015 2,839 140 4.9% 7.3%
Guildford 014 6,311 305 4.8% 6.6%
Guildford 017 6,033 270 4.5% 7.1%
Guildford 001 6,754 283 4.2% 6.8%
Guildford 002 4,525 180 4.0% 6.1%
Guildford 008 4,999 189 3.8% 5.3%
Guildford 013 4,735 178 3.8% 6.1%
Lowest electric shares
Guildford 012 2,436 50 2.1% 3.4%
Guildford 010 4,199 110 2.6% 3.9%
Guildford 007 3,491 91 2.6% 3.7%
Guildford 009 3,030 81 2.7% 4.0%
Guildford 006 4,040 119 2.9% 5.3%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.

Road traffic and collisions in Guildford

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Guildford, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 36995
2022 409125
2023 356106
2024 31490
2025 337106

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Guildford

Unleaded petrol averages 171.4p a litre across 18 filling stations in Guildford, 0.1p below the UK average. Diesel averages 201.1p, 2.4p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Jet Tilthams Service Station Aldershot 167.9p
  2. Esso Asda Tongham Express Petrol Farnham 168.9p
  3. Esso MFG Demon Guildford 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Guildford

How Guildford compares

Guildford compared with Surrey, the South East, England, the UK
Guildford 501 5.1% 4.4% 4.8% 182 19.1
Surrey 527 4.8% 4.0% 5.8% 185 19.2
South East 499 9.3% 3.5% 18.5% 159 17.7
England 440 6.2% 3.2% 10.7% 173 13.4
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 Guildford

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Guildford, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 57.1% at Guildford.

Other centres in Surrey:

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 Surrey

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

Councils in Surrey
Elmbridge 530 6.2% 4.8% 4.3% 181 25.0
Guildford 501 5.1% 4.4% 4.8% 182 19.1
Waverley 569 5.0% 4.5% 2.9% 155 26.6
Epsom and Ewell 463 4.9% 4.0% 3.8% 131 24.3
Mole Valley 595 4.8% 3.9% 15.9% 286 13.6
Surrey Heath 576 4.7% 4.1% 3.4% 207 18.5
Reigate and Banstead 500 4.6% 3.6% 9.9% 123 25.6
Runnymede 498 4.6% 3.6% 5.9% 246 12.3
Tandridge 554 4.3% 3.6% 3.8% 138 25.3
Woking 516 4.1% 3.7% 3.2% 274 12.0
Spelthorne 496 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 160 16.3

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 94,602 licensed vehicles in Guildford 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 6,523 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 Guildford 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.
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.