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Sandwell motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
176,329 licensed vehicles in Sandwell
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 143,880 +2.2% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 380 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 3,386 2.4% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 1.6% 20th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 310 88 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 6.5% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Sandwell?

There were 143,880 licensed cars in Sandwell at the end of March 2026, and 176,329 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 29.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 380 for every 1,000 residents, 58th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Sandwell

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Sandwell at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 132,972110,722
2011 133,808111,193
2012 134,496111,619
2013 136,208112,821
2014 139,529115,531
2015 142,546117,621
2016 147,203121,181
2017 150,830124,081
2018 154,113126,473
2019 157,698129,167
2020 159,727131,460
2021 161,804131,560
2022 163,893132,904
2023 166,488134,620
2024 170,370137,685
2025 172,852140,761
2026 176,329143,880

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, Sandwell compared
Year SandwellWest MidlandsUnited Kingdom
2011 361506–
2012 358502–
2013 359503–
2014 363500–
2015 364506473
2016 369513480
2017 374523488
2018 379524490
2019 382519493
2020 381515489
2021 389485493
2022 387480489
2023 389479489
2024 393476490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Sandwell

54.6% of cars in Sandwell run on petrol and 33.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 41.2% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.8%, and cars that plug in 4.0%.

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 Sandwell, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 74.8%24.9%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 72.9%26.8%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 71.1%28.5%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2013 69.3%30.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 67.4%32.0%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 65.1%34.3%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2016 62.9%36.4%0.4%0.0%0.1%
2017 60.9%38.2%0.5%0.0%0.1%
2018 58.7%40.3%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2019 57.7%40.9%0.9%0.1%0.2%
2020 57.1%41.1%1.2%0.1%0.2%
2021 56.4%41.2%1.7%0.2%0.3%
2022 56.3%40.1%2.4%0.4%0.5%
2023 56.4%38.8%3.2%0.6%0.6%
2024 56.2%37.1%4.5%1.0%0.8%
2025 55.5%35.1%6.1%1.6%1.1%
2026 54.6%33.1%7.8%2.4%1.7%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Sandwell

3,386 battery electric cars were licensed in Sandwell at the end of March 2026, 2.4% of all cars, 31st lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,795 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,252.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 1.6% are battery electric (2,091 cars), the lowest of 30 councils in the West Midlands. Companies keep 38.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 6.5% of its cars overall. There are also 3,305 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, Sandwell compared, end of March each year
Year SandwellWest MidlandsUnited 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%0.3%
2021 0.2%0.6%0.7%
2022 0.4%1.1%1.3%
2023 0.6%1.3%2.1%
2024 1.0%1.7%3.0%
2025 1.6%2.5%4.1%
2026 2.4%3.4%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Sandwell

There were 310 public chargers in Sandwell on 1 July 2026, 121 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 88 for every 100,000 residents, 68th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 41.6% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 16.7 privately kept plug-in cars in Sandwell (UK 11.9), 164th most 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 Sandwell by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 21991
Apr 2026 234104
Jul 2026 310121

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Sandwell compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Sandwell 8834
West Midlands (county) 19437
West Midlands 16446
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Sandwell has 39 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.2% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.4%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Sandwell with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Sandwell 006 3,821 91 2.4% 4.4%
Sandwell 036 3,292 73 2.2% 3.9%
Sandwell 002 3,790 80 2.1% 3.3%
Sandwell 021 4,826 93 1.9% 3.4%
Sandwell 025 3,330 62 1.9% 3.1%
Sandwell 039 5,246 102 1.9% 3.4%
Sandwell 038 3,753 69 1.8% 3.3%
Sandwell 027 3,173 53 1.7% 2.6%
Sandwell 035 5,128 89 1.7% 2.7%
Sandwell 016 5,651 90 1.6% 3.0%
Lowest electric shares
Sandwell 041 2,302 9 0.4% 2.6%
Sandwell 028 3,386 22 0.6% 2.0%
Sandwell 024 3,361 20 0.6% 2.1%
Sandwell 023 4,869 31 0.6% 1.9%
Sandwell 018 2,918 17 0.6% 2.5%

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 Sandwell

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,364 million miles on roads in Sandwell in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Sandwell
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 1,093
1994 1,110
1995 1,132
1996 1,161
1997 1,160
1998 1,177
1999 1,191
2000 1,198
2001 1,194
2002 1,224
2003 1,228
2004 1,236
2005 1,233
2006 1,232
2007 1,234
2008 1,215
2009 1,206
2010 1,180
2011 1,193
2012 1,212
2013 1,205
2014 1,260
2015 1,256
2016 1,285
2017 1,330
2018 1,344
2019 1,352
2020 1,125
2021 1,217
2022 1,295
2023 1,334
2024 1,358
2025 1,364

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Sandwell, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 596100
2022 588108
2023 574125
2024 614138
2025 600124

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Sandwell

Unleaded petrol averages 172.5p a litre across 34 filling stations in Sandwell, 0.8p above the UK average. Diesel averages 195.6p, 1.0p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Murco Crankhall Lane Service Station Wednesbury 168.9p
  2. Asda Great Bridge Supercentre Tipton 169.9p
  3. Asda Tipton Superstore Tipton 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Sandwell

How Sandwell compares

Sandwell compared with the West Midlands metropolitan county, the West Midlands, England, the UK
Sandwell 380 2.4% 1.6% 6.5% 88 16.7
West Midlands (county) 391 3.1% 2.0% 7.4% 194 7.0
West Midlands 455 3.4% 2.5% 6.1% 164 11.6
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 West Midlands metropolitan county

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

Councils in the West Midlands metropolitan county
Solihull 495 7.2% 3.1% 13.1% 278 9.4
Dudley 470 3.0% 2.3% 5.0% 104 15.9
Walsall 416 2.7% 2.0% 5.8% 66 21.3
Wolverhampton 400 2.7% 1.9% 5.9% 69 20.0
Birmingham 345 2.6% 1.8% 8.0% 135 8.1
Coventry 384 2.5% 1.9% 6.9% 717 1.7
Sandwell 380 2.4% 1.6% 6.5% 88 16.7

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 176,329 licensed vehicles in Sandwell 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 9,178 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 Sandwell 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.