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Reading motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
83,150 licensed vehicles in Reading
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 69,376 +1.2% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 360 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 2,269 3.3% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.6% 158th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 346 189 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.1% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Reading?

There were 69,376 licensed cars in Reading at the end of March 2026, and 83,150 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 17.1% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 360 for every 1,000 residents, 47th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Reading

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Reading at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 69,40159,260
2011 70,55360,302
2012 70,72560,653
2013 71,47861,325
2014 71,55562,290
2015 72,91163,528
2016 75,00165,358
2017 75,65765,892
2018 76,09966,158
2019 76,44666,313
2020 76,50266,661
2021 75,55665,527
2022 76,52266,026
2023 77,54566,524
2024 81,04467,490
2025 82,23668,536
2026 83,15069,376

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, Reading compared
Year ReadingSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 389534–
2012 383535–
2013 380541–
2014 379547–
2015 379551473
2016 381559480
2017 381567488
2018 379570490
2019 382572493
2020 377561489
2021 381564493
2022 376565489
2023 372567489
2024 371570490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Reading

58.9% of cars in Reading run on petrol and 27.2% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 33.3% in 2020. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.4%, and cars that plug in 5.2%.

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 Reading, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 79.5%20.2%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 77.2%22.3%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 75.3%24.1%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2013 73.3%26.0%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2014 71.6%27.6%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2015 69.4%29.6%0.8%0.0%0.0%
2016 67.5%31.3%1.0%0.1%0.0%
2017 66.0%32.5%1.2%0.1%0.1%
2018 65.3%32.9%1.4%0.1%0.1%
2019 64.7%33.2%1.6%0.2%0.2%
2020 64.1%33.3%1.9%0.3%0.3%
2021 63.6%32.9%2.5%0.4%0.4%
2022 62.3%32.9%3.2%0.8%0.6%
2023 61.4%32.3%4.0%1.2%0.8%
2024 60.6%31.1%5.3%1.8%1.1%
2025 59.8%29.2%6.8%2.4%1.4%
2026 58.9%27.2%8.4%3.3%1.9%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Reading

2,269 battery electric cars were licensed in Reading at the end of March 2026, 3.3% of all cars, 152nd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,612 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,674.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.6% are battery electric (1,697 cars), 22nd lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 25.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.1% of its cars overall. There are also 101 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, Reading compared, end of March each year
Year ReadingSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.5%0.3%
2021 0.4%1.0%0.7%
2022 0.8%1.9%1.3%
2023 1.2%3.0%2.1%
2024 1.8%4.2%3.0%
2025 2.4%5.7%4.1%
2026 3.3%8.7%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Reading

There were 346 public chargers in Reading on 1 July 2026, 54 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 189 for every 100,000 residents, 106th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 10.4% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 8.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Reading (UK 11.9), 67th 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 Reading by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 38640
Apr 2026 34350
Jul 2026 34654

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Reading compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Reading 18930
South East 15940
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Reading has 19 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.0% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 5.3%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Reading with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Reading 002 4,767 251 5.3% 8.0%
Reading 003 4,367 147 3.4% 5.4%
Reading 001 4,831 150 3.1% 5.5%
Reading 005 4,672 134 2.9% 4.5%
Reading 016 2,626 77 2.9% 4.3%
Reading 013 3,818 90 2.4% 4.1%
Reading 017 5,638 137 2.4% 4.2%
Reading 015 4,469 103 2.3% 3.7%
Reading 004 3,690 73 2.0% 3.3%
Reading 014 3,123 62 2.0% 3.8%
Lowest electric shares
Reading 010 3,352 21 0.6% 2.1%
Reading 007 4,014 45 1.1% 2.6%
Reading 009 4,161 57 1.4% 2.5%
Reading 008 4,142 67 1.6% 3.0%
Reading 019 2,162 36 1.7% 4.2%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 2 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Reading

Vehicles travelled an estimated 357 million miles on roads in Reading in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Reading
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 376
1994 382
1995 388
1996 394
1997 399
1998 403
1999 408
2000 403
2001 403
2002 409
2003 404
2004 394
2005 388
2006 373
2007 372
2008 366
2009 360
2010 354
2011 360
2012 358
2013 360
2014 364
2015 372
2016 374
2017 373
2018 371
2019 372
2020 292
2021 313
2022 348
2023 353
2024 359
2025 357

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Reading, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 23435
2022 31054
2023 26041
2024 25139
2025 25049

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Reading

Unleaded petrol averages 172.6p a litre across 19 filling stations in Reading, 0.9p above the UK average. Diesel averages 196.6p, 2.0p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. MFG Morrisons Reading Reading 169.9p
  2. Tesco Reading Extra Reading 170.9p
  3. Tesco Reading W Extra Reading 170.9p

Every filling station and price in Reading

How Reading compares

Reading compared with the South East, England, the UK
Reading 360 3.3% 2.6% 5.1% 189 8.3
South East 496 8.7% 3.2% 18.1% 159 16.9
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 East

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

Councils in the South East
Windsor and Maidenhead 518 38.0% 3.8% 83.1% 150 23.3
Milton Keynes 455 26.5% 4.4% 61.6% 323 9.0
Slough 382 25.1% 2.6% 51.0% 100 20.4
Portsmouth 361 8.2% 1.6% 36.4% 203 4.8
Elmbridge 528 5.7% 4.5% 4.2% 181 30.9
Cherwell 512 5.2% 3.5% 14.2% 204 13.8
Wokingham 540 5.2% 4.6% 3.1% 159 19.0
Winchester 523 5.0% 4.3% 4.8% 213 17.3
Hart 595 4.9% 3.9% 4.2% 210 23.2
Vale of White Horse 539 4.9% 4.4% 3.1% 194 17.8
Guildford 499 4.8% 4.1% 4.7% 182 19.6
Waverley 565 4.7% 4.2% 2.9% 155 31.6
Epsom and Ewell 461 4.6% 3.7% 4.0% 131 27.0
South Oxfordshire 559 4.6% 3.9% 3.3% 121 28.5
Buckinghamshire 543 4.5% 3.8% 4.1% 141 24.7
Mole Valley 591 4.5% 3.6% 15.6% 286 12.5
Reigate and Banstead 498 4.4% 3.4% 9.3% 123 35.9
Runnymede 496 4.4% 3.4% 6.0% 246 13.8
Surrey Heath 572 4.4% 3.8% 3.4% 207 20.9
Sevenoaks 551 4.3% 3.6% 5.0% 95 37.2
Dartford 441 4.2% 3.4% 5.6% 194 14.5
Eastleigh 539 4.2% 3.3% 4.5% 117 23.6
West Berkshire 557 4.2% 3.6% 4.2% 283 12.0
Basingstoke and Deane 524 4.1% 3.6% 3.2% 141 20.9
East Hampshire 594 4.1% 3.6% 3.3% 84 42.9
Mid Sussex 531 4.1% 3.5% 5.0% 176 17.8
Rushmoor 480 4.1% 2.3% 63.7% 156 11.4
Test Valley 561 4.1% 3.5% 3.9% 118 26.7
Tonbridge and Malling 530 4.1% 3.3% 5.9% 128 18.3
Horsham 580 4.0% 3.4% 3.4% 195 16.4
Tandridge 552 4.0% 3.3% 3.8% 138 30.0
Bracknell Forest 528 3.9% 3.3% 18.1% 159 20.5
Fareham 564 3.9% 3.4% 3.0% 62 47.8
Oxford 280 3.9% 3.0% 5.6% 167 8.2
West Oxfordshire 549 3.9% 3.4% 4.3% 195 15.6
Woking 514 3.9% 3.4% 3.2% 274 12.1
Tunbridge Wells 515 3.8% 3.2% 3.8% 113 25.5
Brighton and Hove 308 3.7% 2.9% 5.3% 283 5.9
Wealden 594 3.6% 3.0% 3.4% 115 26.5
Ashford 511 3.5% 2.8% 4.7% 145 15.9
Canterbury 454 3.5% 2.8% 4.7% 162 14.5
Chichester 557 3.5% 2.9% 4.0% 173 14.7
Lewes 489 3.5% 2.9% 3.8% 140 15.1
Maidstone 515 3.4% 2.8% 4.4% 83 29.6
New Forest 603 3.3% 2.8% 3.3% 177 17.2
Reading 360 3.3% 2.6% 5.1% 189 8.3
Havant 507 3.2% 2.4% 4.8% 72 29.7
Spelthorne 493 3.2% 2.6% 3.6% 160 18.5
Worthing 465 3.1% 2.5% 3.5% 255 7.1
Arun 529 3.0% 2.5% 3.3% 166 12.8
Crawley 433 3.0% 2.3% 4.9% 223 6.9
Gravesham 461 3.0% 2.4% 5.5% 78 24.7
Medway 458 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 79 25.7
Adur 473 2.9% 2.4% 4.0% 168 10.0
Rother 546 2.9% 2.5% 3.9% 67 36.7
Dover 497 2.8% 2.3% 4.2% 137 13.6
Swale 493 2.8% 2.4% 5.4% 107 18.1
Folkestone and Hythe 494 2.7% 2.3% 4.3% 211 9.2
Eastbourne 427 2.6% 1.9% 6.7% 116 12.4
Isle of Wight 498 2.6% 2.1% 4.2% 135 11.2
Thanet 457 2.6% 2.0% 5.1% 98 18.8
Southampton 370 2.5% 1.8% 4.6% 70 16.3
Gosport 473 2.4% 2.0% 3.3% 100 14.9
Hastings 415 2.4% 1.8% 4.8% 52 19.1

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 83,150 licensed vehicles in Reading 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 3,845 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 Reading 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.