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Kingston upon Thames motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
71,624 licensed vehicles in Kingston upon Thames
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 63,497 +0.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 353 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 3,142 4.9% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.2% 18th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 417 242 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 3.9% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Kingston upon Thames?

There were 63,497 licensed cars in Kingston upon Thames at the end of March 2026, and 71,624 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 0.4% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 353 for every 1,000 residents, 42nd lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Kingston upon Thames

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Kingston upon Thames at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 72,82763,243
2011 73,03563,502
2012 73,40963,442
2013 73,63163,797
2014 74,19664,487
2015 74,90364,827
2016 75,67865,476
2017 76,28766,301
2018 75,88765,942
2019 75,76366,011
2020 75,69966,215
2021 74,04664,915
2022 73,94664,872
2023 72,77863,946
2024 71,45263,325
2025 71,36663,327
2026 71,62463,497

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, Kingston upon Thames compared
Year Kingston upon ThamesLondonUnited Kingdom
2011 397313–
2012 390307–
2013 391303–
2014 390303–
2015 389303473
2016 389304480
2017 393306488
2018 391303490
2019 389301493
2020 384296489
2021 389300493
2022 383295489
2023 374290489
2024 367287490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Kingston upon Thames

67.4% of cars in Kingston upon Thames run on petrol and 12.9% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 29.7% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.9%, and cars that plug in 8.5%.

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 Kingston upon Thames, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 81.9%17.5%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2011 79.9%19.3%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2012 77.9%21.2%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2013 75.9%23.1%0.8%0.0%0.0%
2014 73.9%24.8%1.1%0.0%0.0%
2015 71.7%26.7%1.3%0.0%0.0%
2016 69.7%28.4%1.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 68.1%29.4%2.0%0.1%0.2%
2018 67.2%29.7%2.5%0.2%0.3%
2019 67.0%29.3%2.9%0.2%0.4%
2020 67.1%28.2%3.4%0.4%0.6%
2021 67.3%27.1%3.9%0.7%0.9%
2022 67.1%25.2%4.8%1.3%1.3%
2023 68.6%21.2%6.1%2.2%1.8%
2024 70.9%15.5%7.8%3.2%2.4%
2025 69.3%13.9%9.5%4.1%3.0%
2026 67.4%12.9%10.9%4.9%3.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Kingston upon Thames

3,142 battery electric cars were licensed in Kingston upon Thames at the end of March 2026, 4.9% of all cars, 39th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,378 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,577.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.2% are battery electric (2,563 cars), 9th highest of 33 councils in London. Companies keep 18.4% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.9% of its cars overall. There are also 92 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, Kingston upon Thames compared, end of March each year
Year Kingston upon ThamesLondonUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.4%0.5%0.3%
2021 0.7%0.9%0.7%
2022 1.3%1.8%1.3%
2023 2.2%2.9%2.1%
2024 3.2%4.2%3.0%
2025 4.1%5.4%4.1%
2026 4.9%6.6%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Kingston upon Thames

There were 417 public chargers in Kingston upon Thames on 1 July 2026, 73 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 242 for every 100,000 residents, 56th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 4.4% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 10.8 privately kept plug-in cars in Kingston upon Thames (UK 11.9), 101st 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 Kingston upon Thames by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 43667
Apr 2026 42673
Jul 2026 41773

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Kingston upon Thames compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Kingston upon Thames 24242
London 34528
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Kingston upon Thames has 20 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.7% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 8.6%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Kingston upon Thames with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Kingston upon Thames 002 3,532 303 8.6% 14.1%
Kingston upon Thames 003 2,757 145 5.3% 8.6%
Kingston upon Thames 012 3,435 167 4.9% 8.0%
Kingston upon Thames 001 3,365 160 4.8% 8.5%
Kingston upon Thames 008 3,396 159 4.7% 8.0%
Kingston upon Thames 015 4,012 179 4.5% 7.7%
Kingston upon Thames 010 2,509 106 4.2% 8.2%
Kingston upon Thames 014 3,650 154 4.2% 7.5%
Kingston upon Thames 016 3,275 132 4.0% 6.7%
Kingston upon Thames 004 3,722 139 3.7% 7.2%
Lowest electric shares
Kingston upon Thames 019 3,262 62 1.9% 3.8%
Kingston upon Thames 020 4,461 117 2.6% 4.7%
Kingston upon Thames 018 4,039 107 2.6% 5.1%
Kingston upon Thames 017 4,044 115 2.8% 6.1%
Kingston upon Thames 005 2,522 72 2.9% 5.7%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026.

Road traffic and collisions in Kingston upon Thames

Vehicles travelled an estimated 616 million miles on roads in Kingston upon Thames in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Kingston upon Thames
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 611
1994 619
1995 613
1996 623
1997 622
1998 630
1999 637
2000 643
2001 636
2002 633
2003 642
2004 642
2005 642
2006 630
2007 644
2008 634
2009 636
2010 668
2011 620
2012 616
2013 611
2014 612
2015 612
2016 629
2017 618
2018 613
2019 627
2020 505
2021 582
2022 589
2023 594
2024 596
2025 616

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Kingston upon Thames, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 31555
2022 32453
2023 27561
2024 28962
2025 25261

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Kingston upon Thames

Unleaded petrol averages 173.3p a litre across 8 filling stations in Kingston upon Thames, 1.6p above the UK average. Diesel averages 197.8p, 3.2p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Jet Chessington Service Station Chessington 169.9p
  2. Tolworth Esso Express Surbiton 169.9p
  3. Shell Little Waitrose Kingstonian Kingston Upon Thames 171.9p

Every filling station and price in Kingston upon Thames

How Kingston upon Thames compares

Kingston upon Thames compared with London, England, the UK
Kingston upon Thames 353 4.9% 4.2% 3.9% 242 10.8
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 71,624 licensed vehicles in Kingston upon Thames 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 5,608 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 Kingston upon Thames 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.