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Plymouth motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
147,085 licensed vehicles in Plymouth
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 120,910 +1.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 424 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 2,482 2.1% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 1.5% 16th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 440 162 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.6% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Plymouth?

There were 120,910 licensed cars in Plymouth at the end of March 2026, and 147,085 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 18.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 424 for every 1,000 residents, 91st lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Plymouth

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Plymouth at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 121,175102,469
2011 122,275102,975
2012 122,355102,789
2013 122,679103,243
2014 124,398105,052
2015 125,663106,515
2016 128,846108,845
2017 131,723111,182
2018 133,074112,093
2019 134,907113,393
2020 136,744115,176
2021 137,939115,234
2022 139,894116,065
2023 140,918116,464
2024 143,040117,921
2025 145,128119,405
2026 147,085120,910

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, Plymouth compared
Year PlymouthSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 401524–
2012 399527–
2013 401533–
2014 405541–
2015 407546473
2016 413550480
2017 421565488
2018 424569490
2019 430580493
2020 431573489
2021 438575493
2022 435571489
2023 432570489
2024 436571490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Plymouth

53.7% of cars in Plymouth run on petrol and 35.8% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.9% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.1%, and cars that plug in 3.1%.

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 Plymouth, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 76.3%23.4%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 74.2%25.5%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 72.1%27.6%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 69.9%29.7%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 67.7%31.9%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 65.3%34.1%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 63.4%35.9%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2017 61.6%37.6%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2018 60.4%38.6%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2019 59.8%39.0%1.0%0.1%0.1%
2020 59.1%39.5%1.1%0.1%0.1%
2021 58.1%39.9%1.5%0.2%0.2%
2022 57.1%39.8%2.2%0.4%0.3%
2023 56.4%39.4%2.9%0.7%0.4%
2024 55.5%38.6%4.1%1.0%0.5%
2025 54.6%37.5%5.5%1.5%0.7%
2026 53.7%35.8%7.1%2.1%1.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Plymouth

2,482 battery electric cars were licensed in Plymouth at the end of March 2026, 2.1% of all cars, 13th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,771 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,768.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 1.5% are battery electric (1,767 cars), 2nd lowest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 28.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.6% of its cars overall. There are also 126 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, Plymouth compared, end of March each year
Year PlymouthSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.1%0.4%0.3%
2021 0.2%1.0%0.7%
2022 0.4%2.1%1.3%
2023 0.7%3.2%2.1%
2024 1.0%4.2%3.0%
2025 1.5%5.2%4.1%
2026 2.1%4.9%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Plymouth

There were 440 public chargers in Plymouth on 1 July 2026, 165 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 162 for every 100,000 residents, 135th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 0.9% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 6.6 privately kept plug-in cars in Plymouth (UK 11.9), 46th 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 Plymouth by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 436151
Apr 2026 437157
Jul 2026 440165

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Plymouth compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Plymouth 16261
South West 15750
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Plymouth has 33 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.1% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.4%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Plymouth with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Plymouth 008 3,789 91 2.4% 3.4%
Plymouth 001 4,711 107 2.3% 3.5%
Plymouth 030 5,458 126 2.3% 3.5%
Plymouth 031 7,356 172 2.3% 3.4%
Plymouth 012 4,262 85 2.0% 2.8%
Plymouth 016 4,809 95 2.0% 3.2%
Plymouth 019 5,090 88 1.7% 2.6%
Plymouth 022 4,519 79 1.7% 2.6%
Plymouth 032 4,677 80 1.7% 2.6%
Plymouth 018 4,284 68 1.6% 2.7%
Lowest electric shares
Plymouth 025 3,526 6 0.2% 1.0%
Plymouth 021 4,663 14 0.3% 1.1%
Plymouth 020 3,793 13 0.3% 1.3%
Plymouth 027 2,216 9 0.4% 1.1%
Plymouth 023 2,429 12 0.5% 1.2%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 4 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Plymouth

Vehicles travelled an estimated 975 million miles on roads in Plymouth in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Plymouth
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 724
1994 735
1995 746
1996 767
1997 766
1998 769
1999 788
2000 795
2001 799
2002 850
2003 872
2004 881
2005 893
2006 921
2007 924
2008 921
2009 916
2010 891
2011 900
2012 897
2013 886
2014 905
2015 906
2016 927
2017 935
2018 928
2019 957
2020 759
2021 854
2022 964
2023 994
2024 991
2025 975

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Plymouth, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 39561
2022 37174
2023 39475
2024 42370
2025 42062

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Plymouth

Unleaded petrol averages 172.0p a litre across 18 filling stations in Plymouth, 0.3p above the UK average. Diesel averages 195.4p, 0.8p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Sainsbury's Marsh Mills Plymouth 168.9p
  2. Valero Ascona Morley Service Station Pomphlett 169.7p
  3. Asda Plymouth Exeter Street Plymouth 169.7p

Every filling station and price in Plymouth

How Plymouth compares

Plymouth compared with the South West, England, the UK
Plymouth 424 2.1% 1.5% 4.6% 162 6.6
South West 506 4.9% 2.6% 9.6% 157 13.3
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 the South West

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

Councils in the South West
South Gloucestershire 520 19.1% 3.1% 36.8% 162 15.8
Wiltshire 552 8.4% 2.9% 24.1% 117 18.3
Exeter 355 4.5% 2.5% 34.1% 259 5.4
Stroud 585 4.2% 3.8% 3.4% 199 15.6
Tewkesbury 564 4.1% 3.5% 3.7% 157 22.2
Cotswold 602 4.0% 3.4% 3.7% 310 10.6
Bath and North East Somerset 449 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 90 26.8
North Somerset 546 3.9% 3.2% 4.4% 107 28.4
Cheltenham 464 3.6% 3.0% 3.5% 272 9.4
South Hams 568 3.6% 3.0% 3.8% 145 16.6
Swindon 468 3.5% 2.7% 5.6% 138 16.6
Isles of Scilly 233 3.3% 1.3% 5.0% 676 0.5
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 472 3.1% 2.5% 4.0% 112 17.1
Dorset 571 3.1% 2.6% 3.8% 196 12.0
East Devon 542 3.1% 2.7% 3.4% 200 11.5
Forest of Dean 576 3.1% 2.7% 3.6% 194 11.9
Gloucester 463 3.0% 2.4% 4.5% 149 12.6
Teignbridge 547 3.0% 2.5% 3.7% 147 13.9
Bristol 360 2.8% 2.1% 4.7% 99 15.0
Mid Devon 557 2.8% 2.4% 3.9% 91 22.8
Somerset 555 2.8% 2.4% 3.7% 137 14.6
Cornwall 523 2.7% 2.2% 4.4% 235 7.5
West Devon 561 2.7% 2.4% 3.5% 178 11.7
North Devon 514 2.5% 2.0% 4.2% 208 7.8
Torridge 550 2.4% 2.0% 4.5% 107 15.6
Torbay 467 2.3% 1.8% 4.7% 97 13.6
Plymouth 424 2.1% 1.5% 4.6% 162 6.6

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 147,085 licensed vehicles in Plymouth 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 4,165 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 Plymouth 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.