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Somerset motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
443,783 licensed vehicles in Somerset
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 339,129 +0.9% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 555 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 9,508 2.8% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.4% 122nd lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 804 137 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 3.7% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Somerset?

There were 339,129 licensed cars in Somerset at the end of March 2026, and 443,783 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 21.4% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 555 for every 1,000 residents, 40th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Somerset

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Somerset at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 352,950279,463
2011 356,676282,488
2012 360,573284,758
2013 363,470287,470
2014 370,674293,171
2015 377,034297,847
2016 386,545304,501
2017 396,040311,217
2018 400,939314,602
2019 408,246319,208
2020 411,480322,145
2021 414,696322,121
2022 423,644326,283
2023 428,412328,810
2024 434,501332,838
2025 439,344336,052
2026 443,783339,129

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, Somerset compared
Year SomersetSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 534524–
2012 535527–
2013 539533–
2014 545541–
2015 547546473
2016 553550480
2017 561565488
2018 564569490
2019 569580493
2020 563573489
2021 569575493
2022 568571489
2023 567570489
2024 570571490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Somerset

54.3% of cars in Somerset run on petrol and 35.2% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 41.0% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 5.9%, and cars that plug in 4.3%.

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 Somerset, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 70.0%29.6%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 68.1%31.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 66.4%33.2%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 64.7%34.8%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 63.0%36.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 61.5%37.9%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 60.1%39.2%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 58.9%40.3%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2018 58.0%41.0%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2019 57.8%41.0%0.7%0.2%0.2%
2020 57.6%40.8%0.9%0.3%0.2%
2021 57.2%40.7%1.2%0.4%0.3%
2022 56.6%40.1%1.8%0.7%0.5%
2023 56.3%39.3%2.4%1.1%0.7%
2024 55.8%38.2%3.4%1.5%0.8%
2025 55.1%36.8%4.6%2.1%1.1%
2026 54.3%35.2%5.9%2.8%1.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Somerset

9,508 battery electric cars were licensed in Somerset at the end of March 2026, 2.8% of all cars, 81st lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 14,491 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 6,895.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.4% are battery electric (7,734 cars), 11th lowest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 18.7% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.7% of its cars overall. There are also 352 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, Somerset compared, end of March each year
Year SomersetSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.4%0.3%
2021 0.4%1.0%0.7%
2022 0.7%2.1%1.3%
2023 1.1%3.2%2.1%
2024 1.5%4.2%3.0%
2025 2.1%5.2%4.1%
2026 2.8%4.9%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Somerset

There were 804 public chargers in Somerset on 1 July 2026, 258 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 137 for every 100,000 residents, 171st lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 2.3% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 14.6 privately kept plug-in cars in Somerset (UK 11.9), 162nd 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 Somerset by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 823238
Apr 2026 832250
Jul 2026 804258

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Somerset compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Somerset 13744
South West 15750
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Somerset has 71 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, 3.4%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Somerset with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Mendip 001 7,042 236 3.4% 5.1%
Sedgemoor 003 6,733 229 3.4% 5.2%
Mendip 005 7,028 227 3.2% 4.5%
Mendip 002 5,525 157 2.8% 4.2%
Mendip 006 5,965 165 2.8% 3.9%
Sedgemoor 001 7,375 197 2.7% 3.9%
Somerset West and Taunton 019 6,588 179 2.7% 4.3%
Mendip 007 6,585 172 2.6% 4.0%
Somerset West and Taunton 016 5,620 148 2.6% 4.3%
South Somerset 001 3,888 102 2.6% 4.1%
Lowest electric shares
Sedgemoor 008 3,923 19 0.5% 1.7%
Sedgemoor 009 5,057 31 0.6% 1.5%
Somerset West and Taunton 010 3,808 29 0.8% 1.7%
Sedgemoor 013 3,675 38 1.0% 1.8%
South Somerset 023 4,081 46 1.1% 2.1%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 3 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Somerset

Vehicles travelled an estimated 4,697 million miles on roads in Somerset in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Somerset
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 2,958
1994 3,055
1995 3,125
1996 3,195
1997 3,243
1998 3,309
1999 3,374
2000 3,380
2001 3,501
2002 3,613
2003 3,666
2004 3,736
2005 3,793
2006 3,954
2007 4,015
2008 4,069
2009 4,013
2010 3,996
2011 3,980
2012 4,009
2013 4,035
2014 4,102
2015 4,212
2016 4,393
2017 4,610
2018 4,612
2019 4,705
2020 3,657
2021 4,128
2022 4,403
2023 4,511
2024 4,582
2025 4,697

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Somerset, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 735241
2022 739239
2023 791277
2024 864283
2025 856248

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Somerset

Unleaded petrol averages 173.0p a litre across 106 filling stations in Somerset, 1.3p above the UK average. Diesel averages 195.4p, 0.8p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Gulf Shepton Mallet 162.9p
  2. Nts Bridgewater Service Station Bridgwater 165.9p
  3. Asda Yeovil Superstore Yeovil 166.9p

Every filling station and price in Somerset

How Somerset compares

Somerset compared with the South West, England, the UK
Somerset 555 2.8% 2.4% 3.7% 137 14.6
South West 506 4.9% 2.6% 9.6% 157 13.3
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 West

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

Councils in the South West
South Gloucestershire 520 19.1% 3.1% 36.8% 162 15.8
Wiltshire 552 8.4% 2.9% 24.1% 117 18.3
Exeter 355 4.5% 2.5% 34.1% 259 5.4
Stroud 585 4.2% 3.8% 3.4% 199 15.6
Tewkesbury 564 4.1% 3.5% 3.7% 157 22.2
Cotswold 602 4.0% 3.4% 3.7% 310 10.6
Bath and North East Somerset 449 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 90 26.8
North Somerset 546 3.9% 3.2% 4.4% 107 28.4
Cheltenham 464 3.6% 3.0% 3.5% 272 9.4
South Hams 568 3.6% 3.0% 3.8% 145 16.6
Swindon 468 3.5% 2.7% 5.6% 138 16.6
Isles of Scilly 233 3.3% 1.3% 5.0% 676 0.5
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 472 3.1% 2.5% 4.0% 112 17.1
Dorset 571 3.1% 2.6% 3.8% 196 12.0
East Devon 542 3.1% 2.7% 3.4% 200 11.5
Forest of Dean 576 3.1% 2.7% 3.6% 194 11.9
Gloucester 463 3.0% 2.4% 4.5% 149 12.6
Teignbridge 547 3.0% 2.5% 3.7% 147 13.9
Bristol 360 2.8% 2.1% 4.7% 99 15.0
Mid Devon 557 2.8% 2.4% 3.9% 91 22.8
Somerset 555 2.8% 2.4% 3.7% 137 14.6
Cornwall 523 2.7% 2.2% 4.4% 235 7.5
West Devon 561 2.7% 2.4% 3.5% 178 11.7
North Devon 514 2.5% 2.0% 4.2% 208 7.8
Torridge 550 2.4% 2.0% 4.5% 107 15.6
Torbay 467 2.3% 1.8% 4.7% 97 13.6
Plymouth 424 2.1% 1.5% 4.6% 162 6.6

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 443,783 licensed vehicles in Somerset 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 15,055 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 Somerset 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.