My Garage

Popular searches

South East · District council

Maidstone motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
125,393 licensed vehicles in Maidstone
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 102,054 +1.5% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 520 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 3,735 3.7% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.1% 172nd highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 156 83 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.4% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Maidstone?

There were 102,054 licensed cars in Maidstone at the end of June 2026, and 125,393 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 26.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 520 for every 1,000 residents, 117th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Maidstone

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Maidstone at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 98,85380,997
2011 99,75081,856
2012 100,87482,929
2013 102,10784,129
2014 104,12085,777
2015 105,62886,911
2016 107,89288,612
2017 110,19290,456
2018 112,01691,905
2019 113,87793,229
2020 112,99692,639
2021 116,33994,707
2022 118,12896,134
2023 120,33697,840
2024 122,25799,453
2025 123,570100,590
2026 125,393102,054

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, Maidstone compared
Year MaidstoneSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 526534–
2012 527535–
2013 528541–
2014 531547–
2015 530551473
2016 534559480
2017 538567488
2018 541570490
2019 543572493
2020 535561489
2021 536564493
2022 534565489
2023 531567489
2024 530570490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Maidstone

57.6% of cars in Maidstone run on petrol and 27.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 38.2% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.4%, 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.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Maidstone, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 71.9%27.7%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 70.0%29.6%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 68.4%31.1%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 66.7%32.8%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 65.0%34.4%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 63.6%35.7%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 62.1%37.0%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 61.0%37.9%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2018 60.5%38.2%0.9%0.1%0.2%
2019 60.2%38.1%1.0%0.2%0.3%
2020 60.0%38.0%1.3%0.3%0.4%
2021 60.1%37.0%1.8%0.5%0.5%
2022 59.4%36.1%2.5%0.9%0.8%
2023 59.2%34.7%3.4%1.4%1.0%
2024 59.0%32.7%4.7%1.9%1.3%
2025 58.5%30.1%6.5%2.8%1.7%
2026 57.6%27.6%8.4%3.7%2.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Maidstone

3,735 battery electric cars were licensed in Maidstone at the end of June 2026, 3.7% of all cars, 162nd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 6,095 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,825.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.1% are battery electric (2,983 cars), 27th lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 20.1% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.4% of its cars overall. There are also 133 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, Maidstone compared, end of March each year
Year MaidstoneSouth 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 0.9%2.2%1.5%
2023 1.4%3.3%2.3%
2024 1.9%4.5%3.2%
2025 2.8%6.4%4.4%
2026 3.7%9.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Maidstone

There were 156 public chargers in Maidstone on 1 July 2026, 81 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 83 for every 100,000 residents, 63rd lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 3.3% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 32.5 privately kept plug-in cars in Maidstone (UK 12.9), 35th most 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 Maidstone by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 15175
Apr 2026 15575
Jul 2026 15681

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Maidstone compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Maidstone 8343
Kent 12844
South East 15940
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Maidstone has 19 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.9% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.5%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Maidstone with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Maidstone 015 9,846 340 3.5% 5.9%
Maidstone 001 5,539 182 3.3% 5.8%
Maidstone 016 5,538 185 3.3% 5.0%
Maidstone 005 5,038 160 3.2% 5.6%
Maidstone 011 7,674 239 3.1% 5.0%
Maidstone 018 5,980 188 3.1% 5.4%
Maidstone 019 5,049 154 3.1% 4.6%
Maidstone 003 6,416 195 3.0% 5.1%
Maidstone 014 5,461 161 2.9% 5.2%
Maidstone 017 5,913 173 2.9% 5.3%
Lowest electric shares
Maidstone 013 5,756 78 1.4% 2.7%
Maidstone 004 5,697 94 1.6% 3.1%
Maidstone 009 5,087 88 1.7% 3.1%
Maidstone 006 5,877 111 1.9% 3.4%
Maidstone 010 4,399 90 2.0% 3.3%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Maidstone

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Maidstone, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 33268
2022 41367
2023 35564
2024 30592
2025 31297

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Maidstone

Unleaded petrol averages 175.3p a litre across 18 filling stations in Maidstone, 3.8p above the UK average. Diesel averages 200.0p, 1.3p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Fass Boughton Monchelsea Maidstone 169.9p
  2. MFG Morrisons Maidstone Maidstone 169.9p
  3. Texaco Service Station, Ashfordroad, Maidstone Maidstone 170.9p

Every filling station and price in Maidstone

How Maidstone compares

Maidstone compared with Kent, the South East, England, the UK
Maidstone 520 3.7% 3.1% 4.4% 83 32.5
Kent 498 3.7% 3.1% 4.9% 128 20.1
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 Maidstone

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Maidstone, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 60.2% at Maidstone.

Other centres in Kent:

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.

Councils in Kent
Dartford 443 4.5% 3.7% 5.6% 194 14.2
Sevenoaks 554 4.5% 3.9% 4.9% 95 39.0
Tonbridge and Malling 534 4.4% 3.6% 5.9% 128 24.8
Tunbridge Wells 518 4.0% 3.4% 3.8% 113 27.2
Canterbury 458 3.9% 3.1% 4.8% 162 14.1
Ashford 516 3.8% 3.1% 4.7% 145 18.1
Maidstone 520 3.7% 3.1% 4.4% 83 32.5
Gravesham 465 3.2% 2.6% 5.6% 78 28.8
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
Thanet 461 2.8% 2.2% 5.0% 98 17.1

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 125,393 licensed vehicles in Maidstone 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 6,368 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 Maidstone 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.