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Powys motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
119,131 licensed vehicles in Powys
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 78,797 +0.5% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 554 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 2,008 2.5% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.1% 45th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 365 270 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.1% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Powys?

There were 78,797 licensed cars in Powys at the end of June 2026, and 119,131 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 10.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 554 for every 1,000 residents, 50th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Powys

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Powys at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 98,18171,080
2011 98,96071,259
2012 100,17571,849
2013 101,75472,437
2014 103,49573,301
2015 104,31373,589
2016 105,22574,397
2017 107,18275,211
2018 108,38975,622
2019 109,76576,078
2020 107,59274,561
2021 112,15776,530
2022 113,52476,668
2023 115,02077,303
2024 116,52377,938
2025 117,72978,385
2026 119,13178,797

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, Powys compared
Year PowysWalesUnited Kingdom
2011 536470–
2012 540471–
2013 546476–
2014 552482–
2015 554486473
2016 561493480
2017 568500488
2018 573504490
2019 578510493
2020 564504489
2021 573513493
2022 572510489
2023 574510489
2024 577514490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Powys

47.0% of cars in Powys run on petrol and 42.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 49.5% in 2020. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.1%, and cars that plug in 3.9%.

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 Powys, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 60.0%39.7%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 58.1%41.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 56.4%43.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 54.8%44.8%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 53.3%46.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2015 51.9%47.6%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2016 50.7%48.7%0.3%0.0%0.1%
2017 50.1%49.3%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2018 49.7%49.5%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2019 49.5%49.4%0.6%0.1%0.2%
2020 49.2%49.5%0.8%0.2%0.2%
2021 48.9%49.0%1.3%0.4%0.3%
2022 48.7%48.1%1.9%0.6%0.5%
2023 48.3%47.4%2.5%0.9%0.6%
2024 48.1%46.0%3.5%1.3%0.8%
2025 47.5%44.6%4.7%1.8%1.0%
2026 47.0%42.6%6.1%2.5%1.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Powys

2,008 battery electric cars were licensed in Powys at the end of June 2026, 2.5% of all cars, 21st lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,086 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,431.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.1% are battery electric (1,555 cars), 11th lowest of 22 councils in Wales. Companies keep 22.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.1% of its cars overall. There are also 107 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, Powys compared, end of March each year
Year PowysWalesUnited Kingdom
2016 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.4%0.3%0.8%
2022 0.6%0.6%1.5%
2023 0.9%1.0%2.3%
2024 1.3%1.5%3.2%
2025 1.8%2.2%4.4%
2026 2.5%3.1%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Powys

There were 365 public chargers in Powys on 1 July 2026, 63 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 270 for every 100,000 residents, 45th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 1.1% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 6.8 privately kept plug-in cars in Powys (UK 12.9), 42nd 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 Powys by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 36964
Apr 2026 37463
Jul 2026 36563

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Powys compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Powys 27047
Wales 18643
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Powys has 19 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.5% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.8%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Powys with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Powys 018 5,560 157 2.8% 4.4%
Powys 002 5,312 113 2.1% 3.2%
Powys 004 4,821 96 2.0% 2.7%
Powys 020 5,204 106 2.0% 3.2%
Powys 005 4,895 90 1.8% 2.8%
Powys 007 5,157 91 1.8% 2.9%
Powys 017 4,446 74 1.7% 2.7%
Powys 010 5,067 80 1.6% 2.3%
Powys 015 6,887 109 1.6% 2.6%
Powys 001 7,921 120 1.5% 2.3%
Lowest electric shares
Powys 009 2,316 15 0.6% 1.6%
Powys 014 5,383 40 0.7% 1.8%
Powys 013 3,266 24 0.7% 1.6%
Powys 012 5,788 53 0.9% 1.8%
Powys 006 5,330 77 1.4% 2.2%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Powys

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,033 million miles on roads in Powys in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Powys
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 741
1994 765
1995 780
1996 799
1997 813
1998 818
1999 826
2000 824
2001 822
2002 869
2003 891
2004 901
2005 909
2006 940
2007 946
2008 942
2009 939
2010 934
2011 926
2012 923
2013 932
2014 961
2015 982
2016 1,038
2017 1,050
2018 1,050
2019 1,068
2020 811
2021 905
2022 983
2023 1,005
2024 1,013
2025 1,033

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Powys, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 299119
2022 316133
2023 338144
2024 329133
2025 322153

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Powys

Unleaded petrol averages 174.0p a litre across 20 filling stations in Powys, 2.5p above the UK average. Diesel averages 200.6p, 1.9p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. MFG Morrisons Brecon Brecon 169.7p
  2. Gulf Brecon Service Station Brecon 169.9p
  3. Valero Sennybridge Service Station Limited Aberhonddu 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Powys

How Powys compares

Powys compared with Wales, the UK
Powys 554 2.5% 2.1% 5.1% 270 6.8
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 Powys

There are 2 DVSA car practical test centres in Powys, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 58.7% at Brecon.

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 119,131 licensed vehicles in Powys 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 3,246 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 Powys 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.