East of England · District council
Hertsmere motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Hertsmere, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Hertsmere compares with the East of England. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 55,037 +0.6% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 467 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 2,963 5.4% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 4.1% 22nd highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 252 229 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 6.5% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in Hertsmere?
There were 55,037 licensed cars in Hertsmere at the end of March 2026, and 63,478 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 7.7% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 467 for every 1,000 residents, 142nd lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Hertsmere
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 59,690 | 51,086 |
| 2011 | 60,554 | 51,997 |
| 2012 | 60,075 | 52,343 |
| 2013 | 60,653 | 52,943 |
| 2014 | 61,829 | 53,967 |
| 2015 | 62,152 | 54,478 |
| 2016 | 62,956 | 55,315 |
| 2017 | 63,386 | 55,734 |
| 2018 | 63,477 | 55,666 |
| 2019 | 64,142 | 55,973 |
| 2020 | 64,263 | 56,127 |
| 2021 | 62,981 | 54,796 |
| 2022 | 62,877 | 54,459 |
| 2023 | 62,918 | 54,253 |
| 2024 | 62,950 | 54,479 |
| 2025 | 63,023 | 54,701 |
| 2026 | 63,478 | 55,037 |
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.
| Year | Hertsmere | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 519 | 503 | – |
| 2012 | 518 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 521 | 505 | – |
| 2014 | 526 | 524 | – |
| 2015 | 524 | 529 | 473 |
| 2016 | 525 | 537 | 480 |
| 2017 | 527 | 544 | 488 |
| 2018 | 522 | 542 | 490 |
| 2019 | 524 | 541 | 493 |
| 2020 | 510 | 536 | 489 |
| 2021 | 509 | 539 | 493 |
| 2022 | 503 | 532 | 489 |
| 2023 | 497 | 529 | 489 |
| 2024 | 495 | 531 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Hertsmere
63.8% of cars in Hertsmere run on petrol and 15.2% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 29.7% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 11.9%, and cars that plug in 8.7%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.3% | 17.9% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 79.3% | 19.8% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 77.7% | 21.3% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 75.5% | 23.3% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 73.2% | 25.4% | 1.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 71.4% | 27.0% | 1.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 69.3% | 28.7% | 1.7% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 67.9% | 29.7% | 1.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2018 | 67.5% | 29.7% | 2.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2019 | 68.0% | 28.4% | 2.6% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| 2020 | 68.6% | 27.1% | 3.0% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| 2021 | 68.7% | 25.7% | 3.8% | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 68.3% | 23.7% | 4.9% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| 2023 | 68.1% | 21.3% | 6.3% | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| 2024 | 68.1% | 18.3% | 8.0% | 3.4% | 2.0% |
| 2025 | 66.1% | 16.5% | 10.1% | 4.4% | 2.6% |
| 2026 | 63.8% | 15.2% | 11.9% | 5.4% | 3.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Hertsmere
2,963 battery electric cars were licensed in Hertsmere at the end of March 2026, 5.4% of all cars, 27th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,809 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,414.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.1% are battery electric (2,094 cars), 3rd highest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 29.3% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 6.5% of its cars overall. There are also 73 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 | Hertsmere | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 2.5% | 1.7% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | 2.6% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 4.4% | 3.8% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 5.4% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Hertsmere
There were 252 public chargers in Hertsmere on 1 July 2026, 163 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 229 for every 100,000 residents, 63rd highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 11.0% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 15.8 privately kept plug-in cars in Hertsmere (UK 11.9), 180th 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 | 227 | 134 |
| Apr 2026 | 225 | 134 |
| Jul 2026 | 252 | 163 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Hertsmere | 229 | 148 |
| Hertfordshire | 208 | 57 |
| East of England | 150 | 49 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Hertsmere has 13 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.4% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 6.7%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hertsmere 005 | 5,028 | 336 | 6.7% | |
| Hertsmere 010 | 3,621 | 228 | 6.3% | |
| Hertsmere 013 | 5,863 | 299 | 5.1% | |
| Hertsmere 004 | 3,348 | 134 | 4.0% | |
| Hertsmere 011 | 4,786 | 174 | 3.6% | |
| Hertsmere 012 | 5,602 | 204 | 3.6% | |
| Hertsmere 001 | 4,333 | 148 | 3.4% | |
| Hertsmere 007 | 3,822 | 123 | 3.2% | |
| Hertsmere 008 | 4,022 | 118 | 2.9% | |
| Hertsmere 002 | 3,711 | 101 | 2.7% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Hertsmere 003 | 3,955 | 89 | 2.3% | |
| Hertsmere 006 | 4,387 | 106 | 2.4% | |
| Hertsmere 009 | 3,223 | 80 | 2.5% | |
| Hertsmere 002 | 3,711 | 101 | 2.7% | |
| Hertsmere 008 | 4,022 | 118 | 2.9% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in Hertsmere
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 215 | 38 |
| 2022 | 263 | 46 |
| 2023 | 234 | 51 |
| 2024 | 249 | 51 |
| 2025 | 223 | 43 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Hertsmere
Unleaded petrol averages 169.4p a litre across 11 filling stations in Hertsmere, 2.3p below the UK average. Diesel averages 193.0p, 1.6p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Costco Wholesale Watford Watford 158.9p
- Asda Elstree Allum Lane Borehamwood 165.7p
- Tesco Borehamwood Extra Borehamwood 165.9p
How Hertsmere compares
| Hertsmere | 467 | 5.4% | 229 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hertfordshire | 485 | 4.3% | 208 |
| East of England | 497 | 5.2% | 150 |
| England | 437 | 5.8% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 441 | 5.4% | 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 March 2026.
Councils in Hertfordshire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Hertsmere | 467 | 5.4% | 229 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Albans | 500 | 5.4% | 111 |
| Three Rivers | 511 | 4.8% | 161 |
| North Hertfordshire | 512 | 4.4% | 117 |
| East Hertfordshire | 526 | 4.1% | 135 |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 455 | 4.1% | 350 |
| Dacorum | 505 | 3.9% | 159 |
| Watford | 397 | 3.9% | 563 |
| Broxbourne | 484 | 3.1% | 153 |
| Stevenage | 449 | 2.8% | 194 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 63,478 licensed vehicles in Hertsmere | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 5,008 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 |
| Neighbourhoods | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales | 15 September 2026 |
- Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Hertsmere 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.