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Richmond upon Thames motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
85,318 licensed vehicles in Richmond upon Thames
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 74,813 +0.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 359 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 4,205 5.6% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.7% 15th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 1,263 642 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.6% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Richmond upon Thames?

There were 74,813 licensed cars in Richmond upon Thames at the end of June 2026, and 85,318 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 2.3% fewer cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 359 for every 1,000 residents, 45th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Richmond upon Thames

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Richmond upon Thames at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 87,15076,538
2011 87,56577,126
2012 87,10176,905
2013 87,15577,182
2014 87,36377,363
2015 87,21377,454
2016 87,36477,302
2017 87,81077,803
2018 87,18377,515
2019 87,04377,370
2020 85,43776,160
2021 85,89176,451
2022 85,20875,598
2023 84,11474,697
2024 86,75174,807
2025 85,45174,620
2026 85,31874,813

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, Richmond upon Thames compared
Year Richmond upon ThamesLondonUnited Kingdom
2011 411313–
2012 405307–
2013 401303–
2014 398303–
2015 397303473
2016 394304480
2017 395306488
2018 393303490
2019 390301493
2020 385296489
2021 391300493
2022 387295489
2023 381290489
2024 380287490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Richmond upon Thames

66.2% of cars in Richmond upon Thames run on petrol and 12.9% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 30.7% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.4%, and cars that plug in 10.0%.

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 Richmond upon Thames, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 78.9%19.9%0.9%0.0%0.0%
2011 76.7%21.9%1.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 74.6%23.9%1.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 72.5%25.9%1.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 70.3%27.9%1.5%0.0%0.0%
2015 68.5%29.6%1.6%0.1%0.1%
2016 67.1%30.6%1.9%0.1%0.2%
2017 66.4%30.7%2.2%0.2%0.3%
2018 66.4%30.1%2.5%0.3%0.5%
2019 67.1%28.6%2.9%0.4%0.7%
2020 67.7%27.2%3.2%0.7%1.0%
2021 68.2%24.7%4.1%1.2%1.5%
2022 68.7%21.8%5.0%2.2%2.1%
2023 69.8%17.9%6.2%3.1%2.7%
2024 69.4%14.9%7.8%4.1%3.4%
2025 68.1%13.8%8.9%4.8%3.9%
2026 66.2%12.9%10.4%5.6%4.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Richmond upon Thames

4,205 battery electric cars were licensed in Richmond upon Thames at the end of June 2026, 5.6% of all cars, 32nd highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 7,510 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 3,589.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.7% are battery electric (3,330 cars), 7th highest of 33 councils in London. Companies keep 20.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.6% of its cars overall. There are also 167 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, Richmond upon Thames compared, end of March each year
Year Richmond upon ThamesLondonUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2018 0.3%0.3%0.1%
2019 0.4%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.7%0.5%0.4%
2021 1.2%1.1%0.8%
2022 2.2%2.0%1.5%
2023 3.1%3.2%2.3%
2024 4.1%4.5%3.2%
2025 4.8%5.7%4.4%
2026 5.6%7.0%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Richmond upon Thames

There were 1,263 public chargers in Richmond upon Thames on 1 July 2026, 43 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 642 for every 100,000 residents, 7th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 1.4% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 5.0 privately kept plug-in cars in Richmond upon Thames (UK 12.9), 23rd 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 Richmond upon Thames by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 1,24543
Apr 2026 1,24743
Jul 2026 1,26343

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Richmond upon Thames compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Richmond upon Thames 64222
London 34528
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Richmond upon Thames has 23 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 4.2% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 7.6%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Richmond upon Thames with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Richmond upon Thames 008 2,081 159 7.6% 12.6%
Richmond upon Thames 012 3,188 220 6.9% 12.1%
Richmond upon Thames 001 3,898 267 6.8% 12.3%
Richmond upon Thames 009 2,547 159 6.2% 10.7%
Richmond upon Thames 006 2,187 134 6.1% 11.2%
Richmond upon Thames 002 3,540 210 5.9% 11.1%
Richmond upon Thames 007 2,418 124 5.1% 9.6%
Richmond upon Thames 004 3,995 194 4.9% 8.6%
Richmond upon Thames 003 3,905 167 4.3% 8.6%
Richmond upon Thames 023 4,911 209 4.3% 7.5%
Lowest electric shares
Richmond upon Thames 020 4,380 137 3.1% 5.4%
Richmond upon Thames 010 3,475 111 3.2% 6.0%
Richmond upon Thames 017 2,099 72 3.4% 6.3%
Richmond upon Thames 015 4,554 155 3.4% 6.7%
Richmond upon Thames 021 2,795 98 3.5% 7.2%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Richmond upon Thames

Vehicles travelled an estimated 514 million miles on roads in Richmond upon Thames in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Richmond upon Thames
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 549
1994 556
1995 551
1996 556
1997 558
1998 562
1999 573
2000 568
2001 572
2002 576
2003 577
2004 576
2005 569
2006 568
2007 573
2008 560
2009 550
2010 536
2011 528
2012 536
2013 530
2014 535
2015 534
2016 543
2017 545
2018 533
2019 545
2020 435
2021 488
2022 501
2023 508
2024 508
2025 514

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Richmond upon Thames, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 37199
2022 40190
2023 375108
2024 33991
2025 355106

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Richmond upon Thames

Unleaded petrol averages 171.8p a litre across 10 filling stations in Richmond upon Thames, 0.3p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.7p, 1.0p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Esso MFG Mortlake Mortlake 169.9p
  2. Esso MFG Palace East Molesey 169.9p
  3. Sainsbury's Richmond Richmond 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Richmond upon Thames

How Richmond upon Thames compares

Richmond upon Thames compared with London, England, the UK
Richmond upon Thames 359 5.6% 4.7% 5.6% 642 5.0
London 264 7.0% 3.9% 9.8% 345 5.8
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 Richmond upon Thames

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in Richmond upon Thames. The nearest centres are elsewhere in London.

Centres in London:

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 London

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

Councils in London
Westminster 179 57.9% 7.7% 60.4% 1,378 1.8
City of London 79 24.6% 7.8% 50.4% 443 2.4
Hammersmith and Fulham 199 18.7% 5.2% 22.4% 1,380 1.5
Camden 159 9.7% 7.6% 12.6% 378 5.4
Kensington and Chelsea 239 7.4% 6.7% 8.5% 637 4.7
Brent 232 7.3% 4.0% 12.8% 367 5.1
Barnet 322 6.6% 5.4% 7.2% 288 10.1
Islington 132 6.0% 4.7% 11.6% 386 3.1
Richmond upon Thames 359 5.6% 4.7% 5.6% 642 5.0
Harrow 337 5.5% 4.3% 6.2% 120 22.8
Hillingdon 364 5.4% 3.4% 16.7% 121 20.1
Kingston upon Thames 354 5.2% 4.5% 3.9% 242 11.8
Merton 294 5.2% 4.4% 5.7% 436 5.6
Southwark 162 5.2% 4.3% 8.1% 618 2.1
Wandsworth 214 5.2% 4.4% 5.1% 532 3.6
Tower Hamlets 128 5.0% 3.8% 11.0% 776 1.7
Ealing 274 4.7% 3.6% 7.5% 264 7.6
Redbridge 302 4.7% 3.8% 7.2% 198 11.9
Hackney 138 4.6% 3.4% 10.4% 638 1.6
Haringey 214 4.6% 3.7% 8.9% 135 11.1
Bromley 409 4.5% 3.8% 4.4% 67 42.1
Lambeth 176 4.5% 3.8% 6.6% 244 5.4
Barking and Dagenham 264 4.4% 3.1% 8.6% 100 18.5
Croydon 318 4.3% 3.6% 5.5% 153 13.9
Hounslow 301 4.2% 3.2% 6.8% 233 8.9
Sutton 378 4.2% 3.6% 4.2% 118 20.5
Greenwich 239 4.1% 3.5% 6.3% 101 15.5
Havering 388 3.8% 2.9% 6.1% 95 24.0
Newham 168 3.8% 3.0% 9.3% 159 8.5
Enfield 334 3.6% 2.8% 6.9% 137 14.0
Lewisham 233 3.6% 3.1% 5.6% 133 10.5
Waltham Forest 251 3.6% 2.8% 7.6% 663 2.2
Bexley 382 3.5% 3.0% 6.3% 269 7.9

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 85,318 licensed vehicles in Richmond upon Thames 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 7,841 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 Richmond upon Thames 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.