My Garage

Popular searches

London · London borough

Kensington and Chelsea motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
41,302 licensed vehicles in Kensington and Chelsea
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 37,361 −0.8% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 238 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 2,759 7.4% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 6.6% 4th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 921 637 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 8.0% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Kensington and Chelsea?

There were 37,361 licensed cars in Kensington and Chelsea at the end of March 2026, and 41,302 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 17.8% fewer cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 238 for every 1,000 residents, 17th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Kensington and Chelsea

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Kensington and Chelsea at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 51,61045,441
2011 50,99044,938
2012 49,61243,921
2013 48,67043,144
2014 48,16242,676
2015 47,77542,434
2016 47,46642,207
2017 47,13441,989
2018 46,51241,571
2019 45,90941,188
2020 45,12540,787
2021 43,73939,571
2022 43,34739,120
2023 42,98638,682
2024 42,39238,080
2025 41,75237,672
2026 41,30237,361

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.

Cars per 1,000 residents at mid-year, Kensington and Chelsea compared
Year Kensington and ChelseaLondonUnited Kingdom
2011 283313–
2012 279307–
2013 275303–
2014 275303–
2015 272303473
2016 276304480
2017 282306488
2018 281303490
2019 282301493
2020 276296489
2021 276300493
2022 268295489
2023 263290489
2024 265287490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Kensington and Chelsea

61.7% of cars in Kensington and Chelsea run on petrol and 15.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 33.8% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.8%, and cars that plug in 13.4%.

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.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Kensington and Chelsea, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 75.7%21.5%2.2%0.2%0.0%
2011 73.3%23.6%2.4%0.2%0.0%
2012 71.0%26.0%2.4%0.1%0.0%
2013 68.6%28.4%2.4%0.1%0.0%
2014 66.4%30.6%2.4%0.1%0.0%
2015 64.3%32.5%2.4%0.3%0.1%
2016 62.9%33.4%2.5%0.4%0.3%
2017 61.7%33.8%2.7%0.6%0.7%
2018 61.8%33.2%2.9%0.8%0.9%
2019 63.1%30.9%3.1%1.1%1.4%
2020 64.3%28.3%3.4%1.6%2.0%
2021 65.7%24.8%3.9%2.5%2.7%
2022 66.9%20.2%4.7%4.2%3.6%
2023 66.2%18.6%5.3%5.3%4.2%
2024 65.1%17.0%6.1%6.3%5.0%
2025 63.2%16.0%7.5%7.1%5.4%
2026 61.7%15.3%8.8%7.4%6.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Kensington and Chelsea

2,759 battery electric cars were licensed in Kensington and Chelsea at the end of March 2026, 7.4% of all cars, 17th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,006 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,688.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 6.6% are battery electric (2,269 cars), 4th highest of 33 councils in London. Companies keep 17.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 8.0% of its cars overall. There are also 121 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, Kensington and Chelsea compared, end of March each year
Year Kensington and ChelseaLondonUnited Kingdom
2016 0.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.6%0.2%0.1%
2018 0.8%0.2%0.1%
2019 1.1%0.3%0.2%
2020 1.6%0.5%0.3%
2021 2.5%0.9%0.7%
2022 4.2%1.8%1.3%
2023 5.3%2.9%2.1%
2024 6.3%4.2%3.0%
2025 7.1%5.4%4.1%
2026 7.4%6.6%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Kensington and Chelsea

There were 921 public chargers in Kensington and Chelsea on 1 July 2026, 7 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 637 for every 100,000 residents, 9th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 0.4% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 4.7 privately kept plug-in cars in Kensington and Chelsea (UK 11.9), 22nd 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 Kensington and Chelsea by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 9254
Apr 2026 9107
Jul 2026 9217

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Kensington and Chelsea compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Kensington and Chelsea 6375
London 34528
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Kensington and Chelsea has 21 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 6.4% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 9.0%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Kensington and Chelsea with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Kensington and Chelsea 011 1,986 178 9.0% 15.4%
Kensington and Chelsea 009 2,126 182 8.6% 13.7%
Kensington and Chelsea 007 2,220 179 8.1% 15.4%
Kensington and Chelsea 016 1,630 130 8.0% 13.9%
Kensington and Chelsea 008 2,160 161 7.5% 13.8%
Kensington and Chelsea 006 1,709 120 7.0% 13.5%
Kensington and Chelsea 010 1,980 137 6.9% 13.4%
Kensington and Chelsea 012 2,369 156 6.6% 12.9%
Kensington and Chelsea 013 1,465 95 6.5% 11.5%
Kensington and Chelsea 021 1,565 101 6.5% 11.6%
Lowest electric shares
Kensington and Chelsea 001 1,303 41 3.1% 6.7%
Kensington and Chelsea 002 1,150 38 3.3% 6.8%
Kensington and Chelsea 014 1,591 65 4.1% 9.4%
Kensington and Chelsea 004 1,574 67 4.3% 8.5%
Kensington and Chelsea 020 1,892 101 5.3% 11.0%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 1 neighbourhood is left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Kensington and Chelsea

Vehicles travelled an estimated 306 million miles on roads in Kensington and Chelsea in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Kensington and Chelsea
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 354
1994 359
1995 364
1996 365
1997 368
1998 367
1999 372
2000 366
2001 363
2002 361
2003 355
2004 351
2005 349
2006 355
2007 342
2008 332
2009 329
2010 327
2011 324
2012 307
2013 303
2014 313
2015 312
2016 318
2017 312
2018 323
2019 327
2020 264
2021 290
2022 304
2023 307
2024 310
2025 306

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Kensington and Chelsea, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 61386
2022 610111
2023 640125
2024 564125
2025 565127

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Kensington and Chelsea

Unleaded petrol averages 170.3p a litre across 5 filling stations in Kensington and Chelsea, 1.4p below the UK average. Diesel averages 194.9p, 0.3p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Sainsbury's Ladbroke Grove London 167.9p
  2. Chelsea Esso Express London 169.9p
  3. Notting Hill Gate Filling Station Ltd London 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Kensington and Chelsea

How Kensington and Chelsea compares

Kensington and Chelsea compared with London, England, the UK
Kensington and Chelsea 238 7.4% 6.6% 8.0% 637 4.7
London 263 6.6% 3.7% 9.4% 345 5.5
England 437 5.8% 2.9% 10.6% 173 12.4
United Kingdom4415.4%2.8%9.9%17511.9

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 March 2026.

Councils in London

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

Councils in London
Westminster 178 55.1% 7.6% 57.8% 1,378 1.7
City of London 79 32.0% 7.8% 55.7% 443 2.5
Hammersmith and Fulham 199 18.3% 5.0% 22.2% 1,380 1.4
Camden 158 9.5% 7.5% 12.3% 378 5.3
Kensington and Chelsea 238 7.4% 6.6% 8.0% 637 4.7
Brent 231 7.1% 3.8% 12.5% 367 4.8
Barnet 321 6.4% 5.2% 7.0% 288 9.6
Islington 132 5.9% 4.5% 11.6% 386 3.5
Richmond upon Thames 358 5.4% 4.5% 5.5% 642 4.8
Harrow 335 5.2% 4.0% 6.1% 120 20.9
Hillingdon 361 5.2% 3.2% 15.5% 121 19.8
Merton 293 5.0% 4.1% 5.6% 436 5.3
Southwark 161 5.0% 4.2% 8.1% 618 2.0
Wandsworth 214 5.0% 4.2% 5.0% 532 3.4
Kingston upon Thames 353 4.9% 4.2% 3.9% 242 10.8
Tower Hamlets 127 4.9% 3.6% 10.9% 776 1.6
Ealing 272 4.6% 3.5% 7.5% 264 7.2
Hackney 137 4.5% 3.3% 10.4% 638 1.5
Haringey 213 4.5% 3.5% 8.7% 135 10.7
Lambeth 176 4.4% 3.6% 6.5% 244 5.2
Redbridge 301 4.4% 3.5% 7.1% 198 11.5
Barking and Dagenham 262 4.2% 2.9% 8.4% 100 18.6
Bromley 407 4.2% 3.5% 4.3% 67 39.1
Croydon 316 4.1% 3.3% 5.4% 153 12.9
Hounslow 299 4.1% 3.1% 6.7% 233 8.7
Sutton 377 4.0% 3.3% 4.2% 118 19.8
Greenwich 238 3.9% 3.2% 6.3% 101 14.8
Havering 387 3.6% 2.7% 6.0% 95 23.6
Newham 167 3.6% 2.8% 9.3% 159 7.6
Waltham Forest 250 3.5% 2.7% 7.6% 663 2.1
Enfield 333 3.4% 2.7% 6.8% 137 17.3
Lewisham 232 3.4% 2.9% 5.6% 133 11.4
Bexley 381 3.3% 2.8% 6.2% 269 7.5

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 41,302 licensed vehicles in Kensington and Chelsea 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 5,250 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 Kensington and Chelsea 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.