My Garage

Popular searches

Wales · Council area

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
117,623 licensed vehicles in Powys
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 78,181 +0.6% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 549 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 1,789 2.3% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 1.8% 38th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 365 270 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.1% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Powys?

There were 78,181 licensed cars in Powys at the end of March 2026, and 117,623 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 10.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 549 for every 1,000 residents, 51st highest of 361 councils (UK 441).

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 96,81370,498
2011 97,87370,796
2012 98,87371,401
2013 100,17371,719
2014 101,64772,420
2015 102,97573,084
2016 104,19874,023
2017 105,83474,706
2018 107,09475,220
2019 108,50675,610
2020 108,70475,692
2021 109,59075,333
2022 112,13876,172
2023 113,63076,643
2024 115,09677,466
2025 116,10777,709
2026 117,62378,181

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, 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

46.8% of cars in Powys run on petrol and 43.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 49.7% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 5.8%, and cars that plug in 3.6%.

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 Powys, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 60.3%39.4%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 58.3%41.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 56.6%43.0%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 55.0%44.6%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 53.4%46.2%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2015 52.0%47.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2016 50.7%48.7%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2017 50.0%49.3%0.3%0.1%0.1%
2018 49.5%49.7%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2019 49.3%49.7%0.6%0.1%0.2%
2020 49.1%49.6%0.7%0.2%0.2%
2021 48.7%49.4%1.1%0.3%0.3%
2022 48.5%48.6%1.7%0.6%0.4%
2023 48.3%47.8%2.3%0.8%0.6%
2024 48.0%46.6%3.2%1.2%0.7%
2025 47.4%45.0%4.5%1.7%1.0%
2026 46.8%43.5%5.8%2.3%1.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Powys

1,789 battery electric cars were licensed in Powys at the end of March 2026, 2.3% of all cars, 22nd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,794 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,304.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 1.8% are battery electric (1,358 cars), 10th lowest of 22 councils in Wales. Companies keep 24.1% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.1% of its cars overall. There are also 86 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%0.0%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%0.3%
2021 0.3%0.3%0.7%
2022 0.6%0.6%1.3%
2023 0.8%0.9%2.1%
2024 1.2%1.3%3.0%
2025 1.7%2.0%4.1%
2026 2.3%2.8%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 5.9 privately kept plug-in cars in Powys (UK 11.9), 38th 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, 1.3% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.5%. 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 5,491 138 2.5% 4.0%
Powys 002 5,205 104 2.0% 3.1%
Powys 004 4,765 84 1.8% 2.4%
Powys 005 4,810 86 1.8% 2.7%
Powys 020 5,133 94 1.8% 3.0%
Powys 007 5,072 82 1.6% 2.7%
Powys 001 7,833 106 1.4% 2.1%
Powys 011 7,964 113 1.4% 2.1%
Powys 021 6,938 94 1.4% 2.4%
Powys 003 3,657 46 1.3% 2.0%
Lowest electric shares
Powys 009 2,312 15 0.6% 1.4%
Powys 014 5,352 36 0.7% 1.7%
Powys 013 3,220 22 0.7% 1.5%
Powys 012 5,718 49 0.9% 1.6%
Powys 006 5,269 62 1.2% 2.0%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 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 170.9p a litre across 44 filling stations in Powys, 0.8p below the UK average. Diesel averages 194.9p, 0.3p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Builth Express Petrol Builth Wells 167.9p
  2. OIL4WALES Llanwrtyd Wells Auto Services Llanwrtyd Wells 167.9p
  3. MFG Morrisons Newtown Newtown 167.9p

Every filling station and price in Powys

How Powys compares

Powys compared with Wales, the UK
Powys 549 2.3% 1.8% 5.1% 270 5.9
Wales 490 2.8% 2.1% 6.2% 186 9.0
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 Wales

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

Councils in Wales
Bridgend 486 4.3% 2.7% 10.1% 146 14.0
Monmouthshire 578 3.7% 3.2% 4.4% 283 10.6
Vale of Glamorgan 512 3.5% 3.0% 4.6% 139 16.9
Swansea 485 3.4% 2.0% 10.1% 154 11.0
Newport 457 3.2% 2.5% 5.5% 303 6.3
Cardiff 383 3.1% 2.4% 6.4% 118 13.1
Denbighshire 504 3.0% 2.1% 6.3% 179 8.9
Flintshire 555 2.9% 2.3% 4.8% 118 16.3
Conwy 514 2.7% 2.0% 5.7% 152 10.6
Torfaen 496 2.6% 1.9% 6.2% 155 9.5
Carmarthenshire 527 2.5% 1.9% 6.1% 216 7.4
Neath Port Talbot 474 2.5% 1.8% 6.8% 73 33.3
Caerphilly 495 2.4% 1.8% 5.7% 108 14.3
Wrexham 502 2.4% 1.8% 4.9% 204 8.6
Ceredigion 511 2.3% 1.9% 4.6% 306 4.8
Pembrokeshire 535 2.3% 1.8% 5.5% 365 4.1
Powys 549 2.3% 1.8% 5.1% 270 5.9
Rhondda Cynon Taf 470 2.3% 1.8% 6.0% 121 11.3
Isle of Anglesey 552 2.2% 1.6% 4.3% 245 5.7
Gwynedd 493 2.0% 1.5% 4.8% 390 3.0
Merthyr Tydfil 451 2.0% 1.5% 6.6% 139 9.0
Blaenau Gwent 499 1.7% 1.3% 5.3% 228 4.5

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 117,623 licensed vehicles in Powys 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 2,933 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 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.