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Isles of Scilly motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
1,085 licensed vehicles in Isles of Scilly
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 592 +4.8% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 238 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 19 3.2% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 1.2% 7th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 16 676 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.1% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in the Isles of Scilly?

There were 592 licensed cars in the Isles of Scilly at the end of June 2026, and 1,085 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.6% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 238 for every 1,000 residents, 15th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in the Isles of Scilly

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in the Isles of Scilly at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 850495
2011 861475
2012 876493
2013 871485
2014 906503
2015 894509
2016 906521
2017 927524
2018 922517
2019 934515
2020 884517
2021 962535
2022 1,004569
2023 1,042569
2024 1,068579
2025 1,059565
2026 1,085592

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 Isles of Scilly compared
Year Isles of ScillySouth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 214524–
2012 219527–
2013 219533–
2014 230541–
2015 227546473
2016 233550480
2017 242565488
2018 239569490
2019 246580493
2020 255573489
2021 236575493
2022 243571489
2023 234570489
2024 245571490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in the Isles of Scilly

63.3% of cars in the Isles of Scilly run on petrol and 30.7% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 33.6% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 2.2%, and cars that plug in 3.5%.

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 Isles of Scilly, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 72.9%26.7%0.4%0.0%–
2011 72.4%26.9%0.4%0.2%–
2012 71.8%27.6%0.4%0.2%–
2013 72.4%27.2%0.2%0.2%–
2014 72.0%27.6%0.0%0.2%–
2015 69.5%29.9%0.2%0.4%–
2016 69.9%29.2%0.4%0.4%–
2017 68.1%30.7%0.4%0.6%–
2018 68.3%30.9%0.2%0.6%–
2019 65.4%33.6%0.0%1.0%–
2020 69.2%29.2%0.0%1.5%–
2021 68.6%28.2%0.6%2.4%–
2022 66.8%30.1%0.5%2.5%–
2023 65.9%31.1%0.4%2.6%–
2024 64.8%30.9%0.7%3.5%–
2025 63.9%31.0%1.2%3.5%–
2026 63.3%30.7%2.2%3.2%–

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in the Isles of Scilly

19 battery electric cars were licensed in the Isles of Scilly at the end of June 2026, 3.2% of all cars, 96th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 21 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 20.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 1.2% are battery electric (7 cars), the lowest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 63.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.1% of its cars overall. There are also 66 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 Isles of Scilly compared, end of March each year
Year Isles of ScillySouth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.6%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.6%0.1%0.1%
2019 1.0%0.2%0.2%
2020 1.5%0.4%0.4%
2021 2.4%1.2%0.8%
2022 2.5%2.3%1.5%
2023 2.6%3.5%2.3%
2024 3.5%4.4%3.2%
2025 3.5%5.4%4.4%
2026 3.2%5.2%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in the Isles of Scilly

There were 16 public chargers in the Isles of Scilly on 1 July 2026, none of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 676 for every 100,000 residents, 5th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 0.0% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 0.6 privately kept plug-in cars in the Isles of Scilly (UK 12.9), the 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 Isles of Scilly by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 160
Apr 2026 160
Jul 2026 160

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, the Isles of Scilly compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Isles of Scilly 6760
South West 15750
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Road traffic and collisions in the Isles of Scilly

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1 million miles on roads in the Isles of Scilly in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in the Isles of Scilly
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 1
1994 2
1995 2
1996 2
1997 2
1998 2
1999 2
2000 2
2001 2
2002 2
2003 2
2004 2
2005 1
2006 2
2007 2
2008 2
2009 2
2010 2
2011 2
2012 1
2013 2
2014 2
2015 2
2016 2
2017 2
2018 2
2019 2
2020 1
2021 1
2022 1
2023 1
2024 1
2025 1

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in the Isles of Scilly, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 00
2022 00
2023 30
2024 00
2025 00

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

More road safety figures

How the Isles of Scilly compares

Isles of Scilly compared with the South West, England, the UK
Isles of Scilly 238 3.2% 1.2% 5.1% 676 0.6
South West 509 5.2% 2.9% 9.6% 157 14.4
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 Isles of Scilly

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in the Isles of Scilly, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 75.0% at Isles of Scilly.

  • Isles of Scilly 75.0% pass rate, 2025/26

Other centres in the South West:

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 West

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

Councils in the South West
South Gloucestershire 523 18.8% 3.4% 37.0% 162 17.1
Wiltshire 556 8.9% 3.2% 24.3% 117 23.3
Exeter 357 5.2% 2.8% 33.8% 259 5.6
Stroud 589 4.6% 4.1% 3.3% 199 17.4
Tewkesbury 567 4.5% 3.9% 3.7% 157 21.2
North Somerset 549 4.3% 3.6% 4.4% 107 28.3
Bath and North East Somerset 450 4.2% 3.7% 3.5% 90 28.8
Cotswold 606 4.2% 3.7% 3.7% 310 12.0
Cheltenham 466 3.9% 3.4% 3.5% 272 9.0
South Hams 572 3.9% 3.3% 3.7% 145 19.0
Swindon 471 3.8% 3.0% 5.3% 138 16.4
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 475 3.4% 2.8% 4.0% 112 18.3
Dorset 576 3.4% 2.9% 3.8% 196 12.8
East Devon 546 3.4% 3.0% 3.5% 200 12.7
Forest of Dean 581 3.4% 3.0% 3.6% 194 13.1
Gloucester 465 3.3% 2.6% 4.6% 149 12.7
Teignbridge 551 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 147 15.6
Isles of Scilly 238 3.2% 1.2% 5.1% 676 0.6
Mid Devon 562 3.1% 2.7% 3.9% 91 24.9
Somerset 560 3.1% 2.7% 3.7% 137 16.8
West Devon 564 3.1% 2.7% 3.5% 178 13.0
Bristol 362 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 99 13.7
Cornwall 528 3.0% 2.5% 4.4% 235 8.1
North Devon 518 2.7% 2.2% 4.2% 208 9.1
Torbay 469 2.6% 2.0% 4.7% 97 15.4
Torridge 555 2.6% 2.2% 4.5% 107 17.7
Plymouth 426 2.2% 1.7% 4.6% 162 7.3

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 1,085 licensed vehicles in Isles of Scilly 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 91 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 the Isles of Scilly 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.
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.