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Milton Keynes motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
446,606 licensed vehicles in Milton Keynes
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 372,777 +10.5% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 459 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 104,435 28.0% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.8% 12th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 987 323 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 62.3% UK 10.0%

Company fleets. 62.3% of cars registered in Milton Keynes have a company as their keeper, against 10.0% across the UK. DVLA counts company cars at the company’s registered address, so leasing and rental fleets land where those firms are based and move when they move. The figures for privately kept cars are the better guide to local drivers.

How many cars are there in Milton Keynes?

There were 372,777 licensed cars in Milton Keynes at the end of June 2026, and 446,606 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 121.7% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 459 for every 1,000 residents, 121st lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Milton Keynes

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Milton Keynes at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 204,850168,134
2011 214,714176,186
2012 224,857186,001
2013 247,350204,386
2014 265,908221,928
2015 289,538242,514
2016 323,170274,020
2017 361,501311,638
2018 393,217340,515
2019 394,980339,043
2020 371,035318,946
2021 367,986308,185
2022 357,290297,117
2023 367,265307,272
2024 381,610319,510
2025 403,785337,408
2026 446,606372,777

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, Milton Keynes compared
Year Milton KeynesSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 705534–
2012 732535–
2013 787541–
2014 838547–
2015 899551473
2016 999559480
2017 1,127567488
2018 1,221570490
2019 1,205572493
2020 1,124561489
2021 1,069564493
2022 1,016565489
2023 1,024567489
2024 1,045570490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Milton Keynes

37.9% of cars in Milton Keynes run on petrol and 14.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 58.5% in 2016. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.3%, and cars that plug in 37.3%.

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 Milton Keynes, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 57.5%42.1%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 54.2%45.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 51.1%48.3%0.4%0.1%0.0%
2013 47.0%52.2%0.6%0.1%0.0%
2014 44.0%55.1%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2015 41.8%57.1%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2016 39.9%58.5%0.7%0.1%0.5%
2017 40.7%57.4%0.8%0.1%0.8%
2018 45.5%51.9%0.9%0.2%1.5%
2019 49.2%47.7%1.2%0.4%1.5%
2020 51.6%43.9%1.4%1.4%1.7%
2021 52.3%38.1%2.7%4.2%2.6%
2022 51.4%33.3%3.7%7.0%4.3%
2023 54.2%26.6%4.5%9.7%4.7%
2024 52.9%21.4%6.7%13.1%5.4%
2025 47.5%17.3%7.8%20.4%6.4%
2026 37.9%14.1%10.3%28.0%9.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Milton Keynes

104,435 battery electric cars were licensed in Milton Keynes at the end of June 2026, 28.0% of all cars, 4th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 139,004 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 68,873.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.8% are battery electric (6,760 cars), 2nd highest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 93.5% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 62.3% of its cars overall. There are also 10,061 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, Milton Keynes compared, end of March each year
Year Milton KeynesSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.4%0.3%0.2%
2020 1.4%0.5%0.4%
2021 4.2%1.1%0.8%
2022 7.0%2.2%1.5%
2023 9.7%3.3%2.3%
2024 13.1%4.5%3.2%
2025 20.4%6.4%4.4%
2026 28.0%9.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Milton Keynes

There were 987 public chargers in Milton Keynes on 1 July 2026, 309 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 323 for every 100,000 residents, 31st highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 3.3% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 10.1 privately kept plug-in cars in Milton Keynes (UK 12.9), 82nd 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 Milton Keynes by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 1,021308
Apr 2026 1,005326
Jul 2026 987309

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Milton Keynes compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Milton Keynes 323101
South East 15940
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Milton Keynes has 35 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 7.7%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Milton Keynes with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Milton Keynes 024 8,250 635 7.7% 10.5%
Milton Keynes 036 6,079 469 7.7% 11.1%
Milton Keynes 034 4,817 355 7.4% 10.2%
Milton Keynes 033 4,016 290 7.2% 10.4%
Milton Keynes 037 5,000 335 6.7% 9.8%
Milton Keynes 028 5,977 392 6.6% 9.0%
Milton Keynes 025 5,652 329 5.8% 8.7%
Milton Keynes 016 4,562 235 5.2% 7.5%
Milton Keynes 020 3,467 173 5.0% 7.7%
Milton Keynes 035 3,576 173 4.8% 7.0%
Lowest electric shares
Milton Keynes 018 3,318 42 1.3% 2.7%
Milton Keynes 012 2,470 35 1.4% 2.6%
Milton Keynes 030 4,194 81 1.9% 3.1%
Milton Keynes 021 3,180 67 2.1% 3.5%
Milton Keynes 008 3,582 75 2.1% 3.6%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Milton Keynes

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,592 million miles on roads in Milton Keynes in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Milton Keynes
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 1,238
1994 1,259
1995 1,281
1996 1,315
1997 1,330
1998 1,368
1999 1,427
2000 1,438
2001 1,463
2002 1,455
2003 1,442
2004 1,426
2005 1,410
2006 1,402
2007 1,403
2008 1,383
2009 1,395
2010 1,358
2011 1,350
2012 1,401
2013 1,437
2014 1,471
2015 1,496
2016 1,534
2017 1,569
2018 1,564
2019 1,599
2020 1,196
2021 1,324
2022 1,448
2023 1,472
2024 1,502
2025 1,592

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Milton Keynes, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 32858
2022 34566
2023 29368
2024 31753
2025 26645

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Milton Keynes

Unleaded petrol averages 174.4p a litre across 24 filling stations in Milton Keynes, 2.9p above the UK average. Diesel averages 203.5p, 4.8p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. MFG Morrisons Milton Keynes Westcroft Westcroft 167.9p
  2. Asda Milton Keynes Supercentre Milton Keynes 168.7p
  3. Tesco Kingston Extra Milton Keynes 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Milton Keynes

How Milton Keynes compares

Milton Keynes compared with the South East, England, the UK
Milton Keynes 459 28.0% 4.8% 62.3% 323 10.1
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 Milton Keynes

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Milton Keynes, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 51.5% at Bletchley.

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 446,606 licensed vehicles in Milton Keynes 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 150,129 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 Milton Keynes 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.