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Isle of Wight motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
97,110 licensed vehicles in Isle of Wight
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 74,010 +0.4% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 500 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 2,071 2.8% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.3% 71st lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 191 135 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.2% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in the Isle of Wight?

There were 74,010 licensed cars in the Isle of Wight at the end of June 2026, and 97,110 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 12.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 500 for every 1,000 residents, 162nd highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in the Isle of Wight

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in the Isle of Wight at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 83,34265,538
2011 83,83465,852
2012 84,06266,078
2013 84,92066,677
2014 86,42467,756
2015 86,90668,210
2016 88,49769,366
2017 90,54470,867
2018 91,27171,527
2019 92,74372,390
2020 91,54371,596
2021 94,54273,136
2022 95,09073,099
2023 95,50573,211
2024 96,14873,560
2025 96,49173,705
2026 97,11074,010

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, the Isle of Wight compared
Year Isle of WightSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 476534–
2012 477535–
2013 483541–
2014 488547–
2015 490551473
2016 497559480
2017 502567488
2018 505570490
2019 511572493
2020 508561489
2021 519564493
2022 519565489
2023 518567489
2024 519570490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in the Isle of Wight

63.8% of cars in the Isle of Wight run on petrol and 25.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 27.4% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.5%, and cars that plug in 4.0%.

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 the Isle of Wight, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 79.8%19.9%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 78.8%21.0%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 77.8%21.8%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 76.8%22.8%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 75.7%23.9%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 74.6%24.9%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2016 73.5%25.9%0.3%0.1%0.1%
2017 72.7%26.6%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2018 72.2%26.8%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2019 71.8%26.9%0.8%0.2%0.2%
2020 71.2%27.2%1.0%0.3%0.2%
2021 70.0%27.4%1.6%0.5%0.4%
2022 69.0%27.3%2.2%0.8%0.5%
2023 68.0%27.1%2.9%1.2%0.6%
2024 66.7%26.6%4.1%1.6%0.8%
2025 65.5%26.0%5.2%2.1%0.9%
2026 63.8%25.5%6.5%2.8%1.2%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in the Isle of Wight

2,071 battery electric cars were licensed in the Isle of Wight at the end of June 2026, 2.8% of all cars, 53rd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,941 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,584.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.3% are battery electric (1,608 cars), 7th lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 22.4% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.2% of its cars overall. There are also 118 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, the Isle of Wight compared, end of March each year
Year Isle of WightSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.5%0.4%
2021 0.5%1.1%0.8%
2022 0.8%2.2%1.5%
2023 1.2%3.3%2.3%
2024 1.6%4.5%3.2%
2025 2.1%6.4%4.4%
2026 2.8%9.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in the Isle of Wight

There were 191 public chargers in the Isle of Wight on 1 July 2026, 36 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 135 for every 100,000 residents, 166th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 4.5% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 12.5 privately kept plug-in cars in the Isle of Wight (UK 12.9), 109th fewest 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 the Isle of Wight by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 20036
Apr 2026 19636
Jul 2026 19136

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, the Isle of Wight compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Isle of Wight 13525
South East 15940
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

The Isle of Wight has 18 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.9% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.1%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in the Isle of Wight with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Isle of Wight 002 5,842 180 3.1% 4.2%
Isle of Wight 018 4,649 130 2.8% 3.8%
Isle of Wight 010 5,356 144 2.7% 4.0%
Isle of Wight 013 4,732 121 2.6% 3.4%
Isle of Wight 017 4,995 121 2.4% 3.4%
Isle of Wight 006 4,859 107 2.2% 3.1%
Isle of Wight 005 4,938 105 2.1% 3.3%
Isle of Wight 012 6,648 126 1.9% 2.9%
Isle of Wight 015 5,932 113 1.9% 2.7%
Isle of Wight 016 4,825 85 1.8% 2.6%
Lowest electric shares
Isle of Wight 009 3,851 32 0.8% 1.5%
Isle of Wight 008 5,377 59 1.1% 1.8%
Isle of Wight 004 2,783 30 1.1% 1.8%
Isle of Wight 014 5,495 68 1.2% 2.0%
Isle of Wight 001 4,219 51 1.2% 2.2%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 2 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in the Isle of Wight

Vehicles travelled an estimated 403 million miles on roads in the Isle of Wight in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in the Isle of Wight
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 342
1994 352
1995 359
1996 364
1997 370
1998 371
1999 373
2000 378
2001 382
2002 397
2003 403
2004 406
2005 401
2006 412
2007 410
2008 397
2009 389
2010 386
2011 389
2012 387
2013 386
2014 396
2015 402
2016 409
2017 412
2018 413
2019 417
2020 325
2021 358
2022 389
2023 399
2024 404
2025 403

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in the Isle of Wight, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 24261
2022 27370
2023 23372
2024 22970
2025 23363

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Isle of Wight

Unleaded petrol averages 177.8p a litre across 11 filling stations in Isle of Wight, 6.3p above the UK average. Diesel averages 202.7p, 4.0p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Newport Isle of Wight Superstore Newport 174.7p
  2. MFG Morrisons Isle of Wight Lake Sandown 174.9p
  3. MFG Morrisons Isle of Wight Newport Newport 174.9p

Every filling station and price in Isle of Wight

How the Isle of Wight compares

Isle of Wight compared with the South East, England, the UK
Isle of Wight 500 2.8% 2.3% 4.2% 135 12.5
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 the Isle of Wight

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in the Isle of Wight. The nearest centres are elsewhere in the South East.

Centres in the South East:

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 the South East

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

Councils in the South East
Windsor and Maidenhead 521 40.1% 4.1% 83.4% 150 24.9
Milton Keynes 459 28.0% 4.8% 62.3% 323 10.1
Slough 386 26.3% 2.8% 50.4% 100 22.2
Portsmouth 362 8.2% 1.8% 36.0% 203 5.4
Elmbridge 530 6.2% 4.8% 4.3% 181 25.0
Cherwell 515 5.9% 3.8% 14.4% 204 15.4
Wokingham 544 5.7% 5.1% 3.1% 159 27.2
Winchester 527 5.4% 4.7% 4.9% 213 17.7
Hart 599 5.2% 4.2% 4.2% 210 18.7
Vale of White Horse 542 5.2% 4.8% 3.1% 194 20.0
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
South Oxfordshire 563 4.9% 4.2% 3.3% 121 31.5
Buckinghamshire 546 4.8% 4.2% 4.1% 141 26.6
Mole Valley 595 4.8% 3.9% 15.9% 286 13.6
Eastleigh 544 4.7% 3.8% 4.6% 117 25.4
Surrey Heath 576 4.7% 4.1% 3.4% 207 18.5
East Hampshire 600 4.6% 4.0% 3.3% 84 45.1
Reigate and Banstead 500 4.6% 3.6% 9.9% 123 25.6
Runnymede 498 4.6% 3.6% 5.9% 246 12.3
Rushmoor 482 4.6% 2.6% 66.2% 156 13.1
Dartford 443 4.5% 3.7% 5.6% 194 14.2
Mid Sussex 535 4.5% 3.8% 5.0% 176 18.8
Sevenoaks 554 4.5% 3.9% 4.9% 95 39.0
Test Valley 565 4.5% 3.9% 3.9% 118 28.3
West Berkshire 562 4.5% 3.9% 4.1% 283 12.1
Basingstoke and Deane 529 4.4% 3.9% 3.2% 141 22.4
Tonbridge and Malling 534 4.4% 3.6% 5.9% 128 24.8
Fareham 568 4.3% 3.7% 3.0% 62 52.0
Horsham 583 4.3% 3.7% 3.4% 195 17.4
Tandridge 554 4.3% 3.6% 3.8% 138 25.3
Oxford 279 4.2% 3.3% 5.6% 167 8.7
West Oxfordshire 553 4.2% 3.7% 4.3% 195 17.1
Bracknell Forest 532 4.1% 3.6% 19.6% 159 19.7
Woking 516 4.1% 3.7% 3.2% 274 12.0
Brighton and Hove 309 4.0% 3.1% 5.3% 283 5.3
Tunbridge Wells 518 4.0% 3.4% 3.8% 113 27.2
Canterbury 458 3.9% 3.1% 4.8% 162 14.1
Wealden 600 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 115 28.1
Ashford 516 3.8% 3.1% 4.7% 145 18.1
Chichester 562 3.8% 3.2% 4.1% 173 17.0
Lewes 493 3.7% 3.2% 3.8% 140 17.4
Maidstone 520 3.7% 3.1% 4.4% 83 32.5
New Forest 606 3.6% 3.1% 3.3% 177 17.2
Reading 362 3.6% 2.9% 5.1% 189 9.1
Havant 510 3.5% 2.7% 4.8% 72 29.4
Worthing 467 3.4% 2.8% 3.6% 255 7.4
Arun 532 3.3% 2.9% 3.3% 166 14.1
Spelthorne 496 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 160 16.3
Adur 476 3.2% 2.6% 4.1% 168 11.2
Crawley 435 3.2% 2.5% 4.9% 223 8.2
Gravesham 465 3.2% 2.6% 5.6% 78 28.8
Medway 461 3.2% 2.5% 4.7% 79 25.3
Rother 551 3.2% 2.8% 3.9% 67 38.3
Swale 497 3.2% 2.7% 5.4% 107 20.3
Dover 499 3.0% 2.6% 4.2% 137 15.2
Folkestone and Hythe 498 3.0% 2.5% 4.3% 211 9.9
Eastbourne 428 2.9% 2.2% 6.9% 116 13.0
Isle of Wight 500 2.8% 2.3% 4.2% 135 12.5
Thanet 461 2.8% 2.2% 5.0% 98 17.1
Gosport 475 2.7% 2.2% 3.3% 100 16.3
Southampton 372 2.7% 2.0% 4.5% 70 17.4
Hastings 417 2.5% 2.0% 4.8% 52 26.5

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 97,110 licensed vehicles in Isle of Wight 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 3,145 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 Isle of Wight 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.