East of England · County
Hertfordshire motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Hertfordshire, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Hertfordshire compares with the East of England. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 631,971 +0.8% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 488 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 28,822 4.6% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.8% UK 3.1%
- Public chargers 2,569 208 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 4.5% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in Hertfordshire?
There were 631,971 licensed cars in Hertfordshire at the end of June 2026, and 748,300 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 12.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 488 for every 1,000 residents (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in Hertfordshire
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 657,796 | 564,297 |
| 2011 | 665,316 | 570,912 |
| 2012 | 672,186 | 578,036 |
| 2013 | 683,897 | 587,959 |
| 2014 | 700,447 | 601,203 |
| 2015 | 709,703 | 610,345 |
| 2016 | 723,734 | 621,801 |
| 2017 | 737,318 | 632,407 |
| 2018 | 739,774 | 633,556 |
| 2019 | 745,714 | 637,691 |
| 2020 | 735,526 | 630,645 |
| 2021 | 744,156 | 634,612 |
| 2022 | 726,451 | 615,692 |
| 2023 | 733,397 | 617,871 |
| 2024 | 739,270 | 623,252 |
| 2025 | 741,274 | 626,646 |
| 2026 | 748,300 | 631,971 |
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 | Hertfordshire | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 510 | 503 | – |
| 2012 | 511 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 514 | 505 | – |
| 2014 | 520 | 524 | – |
| 2015 | 523 | 529 | 473 |
| 2016 | 527 | 537 | 480 |
| 2017 | 534 | 544 | 488 |
| 2018 | 533 | 542 | 490 |
| 2019 | 534 | 541 | 493 |
| 2020 | 526 | 536 | 489 |
| 2021 | 528 | 539 | 493 |
| 2022 | 511 | 532 | 489 |
| 2023 | 506 | 529 | 489 |
| 2024 | 504 | 531 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Hertfordshire
61.8% of cars in Hertfordshire run on petrol and 20.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 32.7% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 9.8%, and cars that plug in 7.4%.
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 | 77.5% | 22.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 75.7% | 23.7% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 73.7% | 25.5% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 71.9% | 27.3% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 70.0% | 29.1% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 68.2% | 30.7% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2016 | 66.5% | 32.0% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2017 | 65.5% | 32.7% | 1.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2018 | 65.2% | 32.6% | 1.5% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2019 | 65.4% | 31.8% | 1.9% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| 2020 | 65.5% | 31.0% | 2.2% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| 2021 | 64.9% | 29.6% | 2.9% | 1.4% | 0.9% |
| 2022 | 65.1% | 28.6% | 3.6% | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| 2023 | 65.0% | 26.7% | 4.7% | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| 2024 | 64.7% | 24.4% | 6.3% | 2.6% | 1.7% |
| 2025 | 63.6% | 22.4% | 8.0% | 3.5% | 2.2% |
| 2026 | 61.8% | 20.6% | 9.8% | 4.6% | 2.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Hertfordshire
28,822 battery electric cars were licensed in Hertfordshire at the end of June 2026, 4.6% of all cars. With plug-in hybrids, 46,622 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 21,910.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.8% are battery electric (22,762 cars). Companies keep 21.0% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.5% of its cars overall. There are also 1,172 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 | Hertfordshire | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 1.4% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 2.6% | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 3.5% | 4.1% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 4.6% | 5.6% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Hertfordshire
There were 2,569 public chargers in Hertfordshire on 1 July 2026, 709 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 208 for every 100,000 residents, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 1.1% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 14.9 privately kept plug-in cars in Hertfordshire (UK 12.9). 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 | 2,598 | 617 |
| Apr 2026 | 2,721 | 637 |
| Jul 2026 | 2,569 | 709 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Hertfordshire | 208 | 57 |
| East of England | 150 | 49 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Road traffic and collisions in Hertfordshire
Vehicles travelled an estimated 7,472 million miles on roads in Hertfordshire in 2025.
Traffic on all roads
| Year | Million vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 5,977 |
| 1994 | 6,144 |
| 1995 | 6,304 |
| 1996 | 6,494 |
| 1997 | 6,640 |
| 1998 | 6,732 |
| 1999 | 6,803 |
| 2000 | 6,680 |
| 2001 | 6,819 |
| 2002 | 6,963 |
| 2003 | 6,923 |
| 2004 | 6,871 |
| 2005 | 6,790 |
| 2006 | 6,963 |
| 2007 | 7,011 |
| 2008 | 6,847 |
| 2009 | 6,813 |
| 2010 | 6,626 |
| 2011 | 6,827 |
| 2012 | 6,928 |
| 2013 | 6,977 |
| 2014 | 7,211 |
| 2015 | 7,375 |
| 2016 | 7,427 |
| 2017 | 7,541 |
| 2018 | 7,549 |
| 2019 | 7,502 |
| 2020 | 6,073 |
| 2021 | 6,618 |
| 2022 | 7,241 |
| 2023 | 7,358 |
| 2024 | 7,362 |
| 2025 | 7,472 |
Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,598 | 342 |
| 2022 | 1,780 | 363 |
| 2023 | 1,813 | 386 |
| 2024 | 1,648 | 315 |
| 2025 | 1,536 | 348 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Hertfordshire
Unleaded petrol averages 173.0p a litre across 87 filling stations in Hertfordshire, 1.5p above the UK average. Diesel averages 198.4p, 0.3p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Sainsbury's Apsley Mill Hemel Hempstead 162.9p
- Esso Asda Hall Park Express Petrol Berkhamsted 164.9p
- Esso Asda Dacorum Express Petrol Hemel Hempstead 166.9p
How Hertfordshire compares
| 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 Hertfordshire
There are 6 DVSA car practical test centres in Hertfordshire, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 57.5% at Letchworth.
- Letchworth 57.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Stevenage 55.3% pass rate, 2025/26
- Bishops Stortford 51.3% 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 | 748,300 licensed vehicles in Hertfordshire | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 48,768 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 |
- Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in 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.
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.