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Medway motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
168,372 licensed vehicles in Medway
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 141,456 +0.8% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 461 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 4,543 3.2% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.5% 90th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 232 79 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.7% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Medway?

There were 141,456 licensed cars in Medway at the end of June 2026, and 168,372 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.5% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 461 for every 1,000 residents, 126th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Medway

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Medway at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 139,132118,401
2011 140,224119,408
2012 141,319120,328
2013 143,784122,549
2014 147,351125,425
2015 149,093127,108
2016 152,129129,729
2017 155,558132,410
2018 156,284132,978
2019 157,939134,318
2020 156,974133,598
2021 160,267135,419
2022 160,643135,295
2023 162,530136,811
2024 165,122138,860
2025 166,996140,286
2026 168,372141,456

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, Medway compared
Year MedwaySouth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 451534–
2012 449535–
2013 452541–
2014 458547–
2015 461551473
2016 468559480
2017 475567488
2018 477570490
2019 480572493
2020 477561489
2021 484564493
2022 479565489
2023 475567489
2024 475570490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Medway

58.7% of cars in Medway run on petrol and 27.2% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 35.7% in 2020. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.5%, and cars that plug in 5.2%.

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 Medway, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 76.5%23.2%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 74.7%24.9%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 72.9%26.6%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 71.3%28.1%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 69.5%29.8%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2015 67.7%31.5%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2016 65.8%33.2%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2017 64.5%34.3%0.9%0.1%0.1%
2018 63.4%35.1%1.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 62.6%35.5%1.4%0.2%0.2%
2020 62.0%35.7%1.6%0.3%0.2%
2021 61.1%35.6%2.2%0.5%0.4%
2022 60.5%34.9%3.0%0.8%0.6%
2023 60.3%33.6%3.8%1.2%0.8%
2024 60.2%31.5%5.2%1.7%1.0%
2025 59.8%29.2%6.8%2.5%1.4%
2026 58.7%27.2%8.5%3.2%2.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Medway

4,543 battery electric cars were licensed in Medway at the end of June 2026, 3.2% of all cars, 96th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 7,374 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 3,441.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.5% are battery electric (3,382 cars), 10th lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 25.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.7% of its cars overall. There are also 255 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, Medway compared, end of March each year
Year MedwaySouth 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 0.8%2.2%1.5%
2023 1.2%3.3%2.3%
2024 1.7%4.5%3.2%
2025 2.5%6.4%4.4%
2026 3.2%9.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Medway

There were 232 public chargers in Medway on 1 July 2026, 87 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 79 for every 100,000 residents, 58th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 17.8% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 25.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Medway (UK 12.9), 80th 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 Medway by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 19778
Apr 2026 20786
Jul 2026 23287

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Medway compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Medway 7930
South East 15940
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Medway has 38 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.0% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.8%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Medway with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Medway 007 4,999 192 3.8% 6.2%
Medway 003 8,343 303 3.6% 5.6%
Medway 030 4,092 129 3.2% 5.3%
Medway 035 5,449 164 3.0% 5.3%
Medway 002 4,348 124 2.9% 5.2%
Medway 005 3,683 104 2.8% 4.9%
Medway 028 4,499 127 2.8% 4.5%
Medway 026 3,424 94 2.7% 4.3%
Medway 004 4,051 105 2.6% 4.6%
Medway 023 4,078 104 2.6% 4.2%
Lowest electric shares
Medway 012 2,660 13 0.5% 2.6%
Medway 020 2,797 28 1.0% 2.3%
Medway 022 2,827 32 1.1% 3.0%
Medway 036 4,426 65 1.5% 2.8%
Medway 016 2,847 42 1.5% 2.4%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Medway

Vehicles travelled an estimated 907 million miles on roads in Medway in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Medway
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 651
1994 664
1995 677
1996 690
1997 700
1998 702
1999 715
2000 775
2001 779
2002 795
2003 790
2004 804
2005 798
2006 818
2007 813
2008 809
2009 796
2010 804
2011 808
2012 800
2013 821
2014 845
2015 856
2016 867
2017 874
2018 868
2019 879
2020 728
2021 782
2022 839
2023 851
2024 889
2025 907

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Medway, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 51086
2022 52698
2023 524110
2024 446116
2025 460121

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Medway

Unleaded petrol averages 174.4p a litre across 28 filling stations in Medway, 2.9p above the UK average. Diesel averages 201.8p, 3.1p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Chatham Superstore Chatham 168.9p
  2. Texaco Magpie Service Station Chatham 168.9p
  3. MFG Morrisons Walderslade Chatham 168.9p

Every filling station and price in Medway

How Medway compares

Medway compared with the South East, England, the UK
Medway 461 3.2% 2.5% 4.7% 79 25.3
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 Medway

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Medway, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 56.4% at Gillingham.

Other centres in the South East:

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 East

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

Councils in the South East
Windsor and Maidenhead 521 40.1% 4.1% 83.4% 150 24.9
Milton Keynes 459 28.0% 4.8% 62.3% 323 10.1
Slough 386 26.3% 2.8% 50.4% 100 22.2
Portsmouth 362 8.2% 1.8% 36.0% 203 5.4
Elmbridge 530 6.2% 4.8% 4.3% 181 25.0
Cherwell 515 5.9% 3.8% 14.4% 204 15.4
Wokingham 544 5.7% 5.1% 3.1% 159 27.2
Winchester 527 5.4% 4.7% 4.9% 213 17.7
Hart 599 5.2% 4.2% 4.2% 210 18.7
Vale of White Horse 542 5.2% 4.8% 3.1% 194 20.0
Guildford 501 5.1% 4.4% 4.8% 182 19.1
Waverley 569 5.0% 4.5% 2.9% 155 26.6
Epsom and Ewell 463 4.9% 4.0% 3.8% 131 24.3
South Oxfordshire 563 4.9% 4.2% 3.3% 121 31.5
Buckinghamshire 546 4.8% 4.2% 4.1% 141 26.6
Mole Valley 595 4.8% 3.9% 15.9% 286 13.6
Eastleigh 544 4.7% 3.8% 4.6% 117 25.4
Surrey Heath 576 4.7% 4.1% 3.4% 207 18.5
East Hampshire 600 4.6% 4.0% 3.3% 84 45.1
Reigate and Banstead 500 4.6% 3.6% 9.9% 123 25.6
Runnymede 498 4.6% 3.6% 5.9% 246 12.3
Rushmoor 482 4.6% 2.6% 66.2% 156 13.1
Dartford 443 4.5% 3.7% 5.6% 194 14.2
Mid Sussex 535 4.5% 3.8% 5.0% 176 18.8
Sevenoaks 554 4.5% 3.9% 4.9% 95 39.0
Test Valley 565 4.5% 3.9% 3.9% 118 28.3
West Berkshire 562 4.5% 3.9% 4.1% 283 12.1
Basingstoke and Deane 529 4.4% 3.9% 3.2% 141 22.4
Tonbridge and Malling 534 4.4% 3.6% 5.9% 128 24.8
Fareham 568 4.3% 3.7% 3.0% 62 52.0
Horsham 583 4.3% 3.7% 3.4% 195 17.4
Tandridge 554 4.3% 3.6% 3.8% 138 25.3
Oxford 279 4.2% 3.3% 5.6% 167 8.7
West Oxfordshire 553 4.2% 3.7% 4.3% 195 17.1
Bracknell Forest 532 4.1% 3.6% 19.6% 159 19.7
Woking 516 4.1% 3.7% 3.2% 274 12.0
Brighton and Hove 309 4.0% 3.1% 5.3% 283 5.3
Tunbridge Wells 518 4.0% 3.4% 3.8% 113 27.2
Canterbury 458 3.9% 3.1% 4.8% 162 14.1
Wealden 600 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 115 28.1
Ashford 516 3.8% 3.1% 4.7% 145 18.1
Chichester 562 3.8% 3.2% 4.1% 173 17.0
Lewes 493 3.7% 3.2% 3.8% 140 17.4
Maidstone 520 3.7% 3.1% 4.4% 83 32.5
New Forest 606 3.6% 3.1% 3.3% 177 17.2
Reading 362 3.6% 2.9% 5.1% 189 9.1
Havant 510 3.5% 2.7% 4.8% 72 29.4
Worthing 467 3.4% 2.8% 3.6% 255 7.4
Arun 532 3.3% 2.9% 3.3% 166 14.1
Spelthorne 496 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 160 16.3
Adur 476 3.2% 2.6% 4.1% 168 11.2
Crawley 435 3.2% 2.5% 4.9% 223 8.2
Gravesham 465 3.2% 2.6% 5.6% 78 28.8
Medway 461 3.2% 2.5% 4.7% 79 25.3
Rother 551 3.2% 2.8% 3.9% 67 38.3
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
Eastbourne 428 2.9% 2.2% 6.9% 116 13.0
Isle of Wight 500 2.8% 2.3% 4.2% 135 12.5
Thanet 461 2.8% 2.2% 5.0% 98 17.1
Gosport 475 2.7% 2.2% 3.3% 100 16.3
Southampton 372 2.7% 2.0% 4.5% 70 17.4
Hastings 417 2.5% 2.0% 4.8% 52 26.5

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 168,372 licensed vehicles in Medway 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 7,824 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 Medway 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.