South East · County
Kent motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Kent, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Kent compares with the South East. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 858,620 +1.4% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 498 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 31,617 3.7% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.1% UK 3.1%
- Public chargers 2,089 128 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 4.9% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in Kent?
There were 858,620 licensed cars in Kent at the end of June 2026, and 1,047,543 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 21.7% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 498 for every 1,000 residents (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in Kent
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 848,934 | 705,290 |
| 2011 | 856,427 | 711,065 |
| 2012 | 863,511 | 718,673 |
| 2013 | 875,930 | 729,772 |
| 2014 | 895,280 | 745,825 |
| 2015 | 906,031 | 754,422 |
| 2016 | 925,192 | 769,517 |
| 2017 | 943,641 | 784,406 |
| 2018 | 953,320 | 792,056 |
| 2019 | 968,000 | 802,090 |
| 2020 | 960,472 | 797,476 |
| 2021 | 988,015 | 813,850 |
| 2022 | 994,524 | 816,110 |
| 2023 | 1,006,439 | 825,247 |
| 2024 | 1,020,052 | 837,366 |
| 2025 | 1,032,409 | 846,596 |
| 2026 | 1,047,543 | 858,620 |
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 | Kent | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 485 | 534 | – |
| 2012 | 486 | 535 | – |
| 2013 | 490 | 541 | – |
| 2014 | 495 | 547 | – |
| 2015 | 497 | 551 | 473 |
| 2016 | 503 | 559 | 480 |
| 2017 | 509 | 567 | 488 |
| 2018 | 510 | 570 | 490 |
| 2019 | 513 | 572 | 493 |
| 2020 | 509 | 561 | 489 |
| 2021 | 516 | 564 | 493 |
| 2022 | 512 | 565 | 489 |
| 2023 | 510 | 567 | 489 |
| 2024 | 511 | 570 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Kent
58.5% of cars in Kent run on petrol and 27.0% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 36.4% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.2%, and cars that plug in 6.0%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.0% | 25.6% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 72.1% | 27.5% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 70.3% | 29.2% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 68.5% | 30.9% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 66.7% | 32.6% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 65.1% | 34.1% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 63.7% | 35.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 62.7% | 36.2% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 62.1% | 36.4% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2019 | 61.9% | 36.4% | 1.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2020 | 61.6% | 36.2% | 1.4% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 61.2% | 35.7% | 1.9% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| 2022 | 60.8% | 34.6% | 2.7% | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| 2023 | 60.6% | 33.2% | 3.5% | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| 2024 | 60.3% | 31.2% | 4.9% | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| 2025 | 59.7% | 29.0% | 6.4% | 2.7% | 1.7% |
| 2026 | 58.5% | 27.0% | 8.2% | 3.7% | 2.3% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Kent
31,617 battery electric cars were licensed in Kent at the end of June 2026, 3.7% of all cars. With plug-in hybrids, 51,170 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 23,114.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.1% are battery electric (25,028 cars). Companies keep 20.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.9% of its cars overall. There are also 1,037 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 | Kent | South East | United 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 | 0.9% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | 3.3% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 2.0% | 4.5% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.7% | 6.4% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 3.7% | 9.3% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Kent
There were 2,089 public chargers in Kent on 1 July 2026, 724 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 128 for every 100,000 residents, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 5.0% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 20.1 privately kept plug-in cars in Kent (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 | 1,990 | 655 |
| Apr 2026 | 2,051 | 673 |
| Jul 2026 | 2,089 | 724 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 128 | 44 |
| South East | 159 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Road traffic and collisions in Kent
Vehicles travelled an estimated 9,788 million miles on roads in Kent in 2025.
Traffic on all roads
| Year | Million vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 7,072 |
| 1994 | 7,266 |
| 1995 | 7,446 |
| 1996 | 7,747 |
| 1997 | 7,951 |
| 1998 | 8,133 |
| 1999 | 8,321 |
| 2000 | 8,303 |
| 2001 | 8,452 |
| 2002 | 8,654 |
| 2003 | 8,697 |
| 2004 | 8,786 |
| 2005 | 8,753 |
| 2006 | 8,783 |
| 2007 | 8,851 |
| 2008 | 8,708 |
| 2009 | 8,635 |
| 2010 | 8,551 |
| 2011 | 8,741 |
| 2012 | 8,764 |
| 2013 | 8,681 |
| 2014 | 8,888 |
| 2015 | 9,164 |
| 2016 | 9,371 |
| 2017 | 9,447 |
| 2018 | 9,531 |
| 2019 | 9,579 |
| 2020 | 7,616 |
| 2021 | 8,385 |
| 2022 | 9,165 |
| 2023 | 9,383 |
| 2024 | 9,537 |
| 2025 | 9,788 |
Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,250 | 684 |
| 2022 | 3,457 | 650 |
| 2023 | 3,372 | 719 |
| 2024 | 2,898 | 820 |
| 2025 | 2,957 | 839 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Kent
Unleaded petrol averages 173.2p a litre across 153 filling stations in Kent, 1.7p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.4p, 0.7p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Asda Minster Express Petrol Ramsgate 165.9p
- Pegwellbay Service Station Ramsgate 165.9p
- Sainsbury's Thanet Ramsgate 165.9p
How Kent compares
| Kent | 498 | 3.7% | 128 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South East | 499 | 9.3% | 159 |
| 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 Kent
There are 7 DVSA car practical test centres in Kent, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 64.5% at Tunbridge Wells.
- Tunbridge Wells 64.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Maidstone 60.2% pass rate, 2025/26
- Sevenoaks 59.0% pass rate, 2025/26
- Herne Bay 55.9% pass rate, 2025/26
- Ashford (Kent) 46.2% pass rate, 2025/26
- Canterbury 45.8% pass rate, 2025/26
- Folkestone 42.4% 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 Kent
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Dartford | 443 | 4.5% | 194 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sevenoaks | 554 | 4.5% | 95 |
| Tonbridge and Malling | 534 | 4.4% | 128 |
| Tunbridge Wells | 518 | 4.0% | 113 |
| Canterbury | 458 | 3.9% | 162 |
| Ashford | 516 | 3.8% | 145 |
| Maidstone | 520 | 3.7% | 83 |
| Gravesham | 465 | 3.2% | 78 |
| Swale | 497 | 3.2% | 107 |
| Dover | 499 | 3.0% | 137 |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 498 | 3.0% | 211 |
| Thanet | 461 | 2.8% | 98 |
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 | 1,047,543 licensed vehicles in Kent | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 53,301 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 Kent 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.