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Merthyr Tydfil motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
34,602 licensed vehicles in Merthyr Tydfil
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 28,708 +1.6% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 455 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 630 2.2% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 1.7% 16th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 82 139 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 6.6% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Merthyr Tydfil?

There were 28,708 licensed cars in Merthyr Tydfil at the end of June 2026, and 34,602 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.8% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 455 for every 1,000 residents, 114th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Merthyr Tydfil

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Merthyr Tydfil at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 27,48623,958
2011 27,70124,096
2012 27,70524,119
2013 28,08724,415
2014 28,79124,962
2015 29,18225,283
2016 29,70925,808
2017 30,39526,256
2018 30,88726,637
2019 31,51227,114
2020 31,32226,987
2021 32,37327,551
2022 32,42927,464
2023 32,72627,525
2024 33,30527,949
2025 33,94928,260
2026 34,60228,708

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, Merthyr Tydfil compared
Year Merthyr TydfilWalesUnited Kingdom
2011 409470–
2012 410471–
2013 415476–
2014 424482–
2015 429486473
2016 436493480
2017 443500488
2018 449504490
2019 458510493
2020 456504489
2021 468513493
2022 466510489
2023 468510489
2024 474514490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Merthyr Tydfil

52.4% of cars in Merthyr Tydfil run on petrol and 37.8% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 47.2% in 2020. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.0%, and cars that plug in 3.4%.

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 Merthyr Tydfil, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 69.4%30.4%0.0%0.0%0.0%
2011 66.6%33.2%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 64.1%35.7%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2013 61.7%38.0%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2014 59.4%40.3%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2015 57.6%42.1%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2016 55.7%44.0%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2017 54.3%45.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2018 52.8%46.7%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2019 52.6%46.8%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2020 52.1%47.2%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2021 52.0%46.8%0.7%0.2%0.2%
2022 51.9%46.1%1.2%0.4%0.2%
2023 52.4%44.7%1.7%0.6%0.3%
2024 52.8%42.7%2.8%0.9%0.5%
2025 52.6%40.5%4.2%1.5%0.8%
2026 52.4%37.8%6.0%2.2%1.2%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Merthyr Tydfil

630 battery electric cars were licensed in Merthyr Tydfil at the end of June 2026, 2.2% of all cars, 12th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 987 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 420.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 1.7% are battery electric (449 cars), 3rd lowest of 22 councils in Wales. Companies keep 28.7% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 6.6% of its cars overall. There are also 46 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, Merthyr Tydfil compared, end of March each year
Year Merthyr TydfilWalesUnited Kingdom
2016 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.1%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.2%0.3%0.8%
2022 0.4%0.6%1.5%
2023 0.6%1.0%2.3%
2024 0.9%1.5%3.2%
2025 1.5%2.2%4.4%
2026 2.2%3.1%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Merthyr Tydfil

There were 82 public chargers in Merthyr Tydfil on 1 July 2026, 12 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 139 for every 100,000 residents, 181st lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 10.8% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 9.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Merthyr Tydfil (UK 12.9), 70th 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 Merthyr Tydfil by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 7412
Apr 2026 7612
Jul 2026 8212

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Merthyr Tydfil compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Merthyr Tydfil 13920
Wales 18643
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Merthyr Tydfil has 7 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.4% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.3%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Merthyr Tydfil with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Merthyr Tydfil 007 5,089 116 2.3% 3.7%
Merthyr Tydfil 003 4,843 93 1.9% 3.4%
Merthyr Tydfil 004 3,006 42 1.4% 2.5%
Merthyr Tydfil 005 4,635 65 1.4% 2.7%
Merthyr Tydfil 008 4,096 35 0.9% 1.7%
Merthyr Tydfil 002 4,863 41 0.8% 1.6%
Merthyr Tydfil 006 4,291 27 0.6% 1.5%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Merthyr Tydfil

Vehicles travelled an estimated 279 million miles on roads in Merthyr Tydfil in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Merthyr Tydfil
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 190
1994 193
1995 196
1996 204
1997 208
1998 210
1999 208
2000 209
2001 206
2002 217
2003 215
2004 222
2005 229
2006 235
2007 242
2008 240
2009 241
2010 242
2011 244
2012 245
2013 247
2014 248
2015 258
2016 266
2017 255
2018 261
2019 263
2020 197
2021 242
2022 269
2023 277
2024 281
2025 279

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Merthyr Tydfil, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 456
2022 4310
2023 469
2024 389
2025 4612

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Merthyr Tydfil

Unleaded petrol averages 171.7p a litre across 4 filling stations in Merthyr Tydfil, 0.2p above the UK average. Diesel averages 198.6p, 0.1p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Gulf Treharris Service Station Treharris 166.9p
  2. Asda Merthyr Tydfil Superstore Merthyr Tydfil 171.9p
  3. EG Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil 172.9p

Every filling station and price in Merthyr Tydfil

How Merthyr Tydfil compares

Merthyr Tydfil compared with Wales, the UK
Merthyr Tydfil 455 2.2% 1.7% 6.6% 139 9.3
Wales 493 3.1% 2.4% 6.1% 186 9.8
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 Merthyr Tydfil

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Merthyr Tydfil, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 51.2% at Merthyr Tydfil.

Other centres in Wales:

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 Wales

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

Councils in Wales
Bridgend 490 4.7% 3.1% 10.2% 146 15.6
Monmouthshire 581 4.1% 3.5% 4.5% 283 11.0
Vale of Glamorgan 516 3.8% 3.3% 4.6% 139 19.3
Swansea 487 3.7% 2.3% 10.0% 154 11.8
Newport 461 3.5% 2.8% 5.5% 303 6.6
Cardiff 385 3.4% 2.7% 6.3% 118 13.9
Denbighshire 508 3.2% 2.4% 6.4% 179 10.2
Flintshire 559 3.2% 2.6% 4.7% 118 18.6
Conwy 519 2.9% 2.3% 5.6% 152 11.6
Torfaen 499 2.9% 2.2% 6.2% 155 10.6
Carmarthenshire 531 2.8% 2.2% 6.0% 216 8.5
Neath Port Talbot 477 2.8% 2.1% 6.8% 73 22.0
Caerphilly 497 2.7% 2.1% 5.7% 108 14.5
Wrexham 507 2.7% 2.1% 4.8% 204 8.3
Rhondda Cynon Taf 474 2.6% 2.1% 6.0% 121 12.6
Ceredigion 517 2.5% 2.1% 4.6% 306 5.5
Pembrokeshire 540 2.5% 2.1% 5.4% 365 4.8
Powys 554 2.5% 2.1% 5.1% 270 6.8
Isle of Anglesey 555 2.4% 1.9% 4.3% 245 6.7
Gwynedd 498 2.3% 1.7% 4.8% 390 3.5
Merthyr Tydfil 455 2.2% 1.7% 6.6% 139 9.3
Blaenau Gwent 503 1.9% 1.5% 5.3% 228 4.9

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 34,602 licensed vehicles in Merthyr Tydfil 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 1,054 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 Merthyr Tydfil 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.