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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
148,343 licensed vehicles in Plymouth
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 121,541 +1.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 426 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 2,701 2.2% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 1.7% 16th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 440 162 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.6% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Plymouth?

There were 121,541 licensed cars in Plymouth at the end of June 2026, and 148,343 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 18.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 426 for every 1,000 residents, 92nd lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

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 121,844102,739
2011 122,449102,771
2012 122,671102,860
2013 123,927104,036
2014 125,683106,035
2015 126,739107,025
2016 129,660109,250
2017 132,711111,691
2018 134,013112,649
2019 135,860113,921
2020 136,000114,159
2021 139,592116,068
2022 140,755116,294
2023 141,981116,940
2024 144,097118,530
2025 146,186119,943
2026 148,343121,541

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, 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

53.6% of cars in Plymouth run on petrol and 35.2% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.8% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.5%, 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 Plymouth, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 75.8%23.9%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 73.7%26.0%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 71.6%28.0%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 69.4%30.2%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 67.1%32.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 64.8%34.6%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 62.9%36.4%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2017 61.3%37.8%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2018 60.3%38.6%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2019 59.6%39.2%1.0%0.1%0.1%
2020 58.9%39.6%1.1%0.1%0.1%
2021 58.0%39.8%1.6%0.3%0.2%
2022 57.1%39.6%2.3%0.5%0.3%
2023 56.2%39.3%3.1%0.8%0.4%
2024 55.3%38.4%4.4%1.1%0.5%
2025 54.5%37.1%5.7%1.6%0.8%
2026 53.6%35.2%7.5%2.2%1.2%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Plymouth

2,701 battery electric cars were licensed in Plymouth at the end of June 2026, 2.2% of all cars, 12th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,125 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,944.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 1.7% are battery electric (1,981 cars), 2nd lowest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 26.7% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.6% of its cars overall. There are also 135 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%0.4%
2021 0.3%1.2%0.8%
2022 0.5%2.3%1.5%
2023 0.8%3.5%2.3%
2024 1.1%4.4%3.2%
2025 1.6%5.4%4.4%
2026 2.2%5.2%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 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 7.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Plymouth (UK 12.9), 44th 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, 1.3% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.6%. 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 3,790 99 2.6% 3.8%
Plymouth 031 7,462 196 2.6% 3.8%
Plymouth 001 4,723 110 2.3% 3.6%
Plymouth 016 4,837 110 2.3% 3.7%
Plymouth 030 5,560 127 2.3% 3.7%
Plymouth 012 4,309 88 2.0% 2.9%
Plymouth 018 4,273 82 1.9% 3.0%
Plymouth 019 5,132 97 1.9% 2.8%
Plymouth 022 4,582 89 1.9% 2.8%
Plymouth 032 4,746 92 1.9% 2.8%
Lowest electric shares
Plymouth 025 3,567 7 0.2% 1.2%
Plymouth 028 3,505 15 0.4% 1.3%
Plymouth 027 2,241 8 0.4% 1.2%
Plymouth 021 4,650 19 0.4% 1.3%
Plymouth 020 3,825 15 0.4% 1.3%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 3 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 170.8p a litre across 18 filling stations in Plymouth, 0.7p below the UK average. Diesel averages 198.4p, 0.3p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Plymouth Exeter Street Plymouth 169.7p
  2. Asda Plymouth Supercentre Plymouth 169.7p
  3. Valero MFG Budshead Crownhill / Plymouth 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Plymouth

How Plymouth compares

Plymouth compared with the South West, England, the UK
Plymouth 426 2.2% 1.7% 4.6% 162 7.3
South West 509 5.2% 2.9% 9.6% 157 14.4
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 Plymouth

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Plymouth, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 40.7% at Plymouth.

Other centres in the South West:

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 West

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

Councils in the South West
South Gloucestershire 523 18.8% 3.4% 37.0% 162 17.1
Wiltshire 556 8.9% 3.2% 24.3% 117 23.3
Exeter 357 5.2% 2.8% 33.8% 259 5.6
Stroud 589 4.6% 4.1% 3.3% 199 17.4
Tewkesbury 567 4.5% 3.9% 3.7% 157 21.2
North Somerset 549 4.3% 3.6% 4.4% 107 28.3
Bath and North East Somerset 450 4.2% 3.7% 3.5% 90 28.8
Cotswold 606 4.2% 3.7% 3.7% 310 12.0
Cheltenham 466 3.9% 3.4% 3.5% 272 9.0
South Hams 572 3.9% 3.3% 3.7% 145 19.0
Swindon 471 3.8% 3.0% 5.3% 138 16.4
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 475 3.4% 2.8% 4.0% 112 18.3
Dorset 576 3.4% 2.9% 3.8% 196 12.8
East Devon 546 3.4% 3.0% 3.5% 200 12.7
Forest of Dean 581 3.4% 3.0% 3.6% 194 13.1
Gloucester 465 3.3% 2.6% 4.6% 149 12.7
Teignbridge 551 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 147 15.6
Isles of Scilly 238 3.2% 1.2% 5.1% 676 0.6
Mid Devon 562 3.1% 2.7% 3.9% 91 24.9
Somerset 560 3.1% 2.7% 3.7% 137 16.8
West Devon 564 3.1% 2.7% 3.5% 178 13.0
Bristol 362 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 99 13.7
Cornwall 528 3.0% 2.5% 4.4% 235 8.1
North Devon 518 2.7% 2.2% 4.2% 208 9.1
Torbay 469 2.6% 2.0% 4.7% 97 15.4
Torridge 555 2.6% 2.2% 4.5% 107 17.7
Plymouth 426 2.2% 1.7% 4.6% 162 7.3

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 148,343 licensed vehicles in Plymouth 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 4,537 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 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.