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South East motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
7,181,219 licensed vehicles in South East
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 5,901,031 +5.4% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 499 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 548,651 9.3% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.5% UK 3.1%
  • Public chargers 15,373 159 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 18.5% UK 10.0%

Company fleets. The number of cars registered in the South East changed by +5.4% in a year. DVLA counts company cars at the company’s registered address, so leasing and rental fleets land where those firms are based and move when they move. The figures for privately kept cars are the better guide to local drivers.

How many cars are there in the South East?

There were 5,901,031 licensed cars in the South East at the end of June 2026, and 7,181,219 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 28.1% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 499 for every 1,000 residents (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in the South East

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in the South East at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 5,479,2364,607,262
2011 5,510,1514,623,304
2012 5,562,2544,666,967
2013 5,680,6614,767,035
2014 5,804,2284,866,249
2015 5,922,3484,941,067
2016 6,078,2365,061,711
2017 6,210,3525,164,072
2018 6,283,3235,216,826
2019 6,363,3235,262,271
2020 6,263,5005,176,006
2021 6,398,4095,238,796
2022 6,493,6605,304,356
2023 6,611,9435,401,705
2024 6,720,5385,495,928
2025 6,826,3155,598,927
2026 7,181,2195,901,031

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, the South East compared
Year South EastEnglandUnited Kingdom
2011 534457–
2012 535455–
2013 541458–
2014 547463–
2015 551466473
2016 559471480
2017 567478488
2018 570480490
2019 572483493
2020 561477489
2021 564482493
2022 565478489
2023 567477489
2024 570478490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in the South East

54.0% of cars in the South East run on petrol and 22.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 37.7% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.0%, and cars that plug in 13.4%.

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 the South East, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 72.2%27.3%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2011 70.5%28.9%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2012 68.4%30.9%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2013 66.3%32.9%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2014 64.5%34.6%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2015 62.8%36.1%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2016 61.3%37.4%0.9%0.1%0.2%
2017 60.6%37.7%1.1%0.1%0.3%
2018 60.8%37.1%1.3%0.2%0.4%
2019 61.5%36.0%1.5%0.3%0.5%
2020 61.7%35.2%1.8%0.5%0.7%
2021 61.6%33.5%2.5%1.1%1.0%
2022 60.8%31.8%3.4%2.2%1.5%
2023 60.4%29.7%4.6%3.3%1.8%
2024 59.4%27.3%6.1%4.5%2.3%
2025 57.3%25.1%8.0%6.4%2.9%
2026 54.0%22.3%10.0%9.3%4.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in the South East

548,651 battery electric cars were licensed in the South East at the end of June 2026, 9.3% of all cars. With plug-in hybrids, 787,892 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 357,326.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.5% are battery electric (168,294 cars). Companies keep 69.3% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 18.5% of its cars overall. There are also 31,919 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, the South East compared, end of March each year
Year South EastEnglandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.3%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.5%0.4%0.4%
2021 1.1%0.9%0.8%
2022 2.2%1.6%1.5%
2023 3.3%2.5%2.3%
2024 4.5%3.5%3.2%
2025 6.4%4.7%4.4%
2026 9.3%6.2%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in the South East

There were 15,373 public chargers in the South East on 1 July 2026, 3,830 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 159 for every 100,000 residents, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 12.0% from 1 January 2025.

For every public charger there are 17.7 privately kept plug-in cars in the South East (UK 12.9). A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.

Public chargers

Public EV chargers in the South East by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2025 13,7263,375
Apr 2025 13,8383,506
Jul 2025 14,4713,536
Oct 2025 14,8693,597
Jan 2026 14,4063,506
Apr 2026 14,7503,597
Jul 2026 15,3733,830

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

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

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Petrol and diesel prices in South East

Unleaded petrol averages 173.4p a litre across 825 filling stations in South East, 1.9p above the UK average. Diesel averages 200.3p, 1.6p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Nts Farnborough Service Station Farnborough 161.9p
  2. Sainsbury's Watchmoor Park Camberley 161.9p
  3. Jet Bellingers Service Station Wantage 162.9p

Every filling station and price in South East

How the South East compares

South East compared with England, the UK
South East 499 9.3% 3.5% 18.5% 159 17.7
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 the South East

There are 12 DVSA car practical test centres in the South East, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 64.5% at Tunbridge Wells.

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 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 521 40.1% 4.1% 83.4% 150 24.9
Milton Keynes 459 28.0% 4.8% 62.3% 323 10.1
Slough 386 26.3% 2.8% 50.4% 100 22.2
Portsmouth 362 8.2% 1.8% 36.0% 203 5.4
Elmbridge 530 6.2% 4.8% 4.3% 181 25.0
Cherwell 515 5.9% 3.8% 14.4% 204 15.4
Wokingham 544 5.7% 5.1% 3.1% 159 27.2
Winchester 527 5.4% 4.7% 4.9% 213 17.7
Hart 599 5.2% 4.2% 4.2% 210 18.7
Vale of White Horse 542 5.2% 4.8% 3.1% 194 20.0
Guildford 501 5.1% 4.4% 4.8% 182 19.1
Waverley 569 5.0% 4.5% 2.9% 155 26.6
Epsom and Ewell 463 4.9% 4.0% 3.8% 131 24.3
South Oxfordshire 563 4.9% 4.2% 3.3% 121 31.5
Buckinghamshire 546 4.8% 4.2% 4.1% 141 26.6
Mole Valley 595 4.8% 3.9% 15.9% 286 13.6
Eastleigh 544 4.7% 3.8% 4.6% 117 25.4
Surrey Heath 576 4.7% 4.1% 3.4% 207 18.5
East Hampshire 600 4.6% 4.0% 3.3% 84 45.1
Reigate and Banstead 500 4.6% 3.6% 9.9% 123 25.6
Runnymede 498 4.6% 3.6% 5.9% 246 12.3
Rushmoor 482 4.6% 2.6% 66.2% 156 13.1
Dartford 443 4.5% 3.7% 5.6% 194 14.2
Mid Sussex 535 4.5% 3.8% 5.0% 176 18.8
Sevenoaks 554 4.5% 3.9% 4.9% 95 39.0
Test Valley 565 4.5% 3.9% 3.9% 118 28.3
West Berkshire 562 4.5% 3.9% 4.1% 283 12.1
Basingstoke and Deane 529 4.4% 3.9% 3.2% 141 22.4
Tonbridge and Malling 534 4.4% 3.6% 5.9% 128 24.8
Fareham 568 4.3% 3.7% 3.0% 62 52.0
Horsham 583 4.3% 3.7% 3.4% 195 17.4
Tandridge 554 4.3% 3.6% 3.8% 138 25.3
Oxford 279 4.2% 3.3% 5.6% 167 8.7
West Oxfordshire 553 4.2% 3.7% 4.3% 195 17.1
Bracknell Forest 532 4.1% 3.6% 19.6% 159 19.7
Woking 516 4.1% 3.7% 3.2% 274 12.0
Brighton and Hove 309 4.0% 3.1% 5.3% 283 5.3
Tunbridge Wells 518 4.0% 3.4% 3.8% 113 27.2
Canterbury 458 3.9% 3.1% 4.8% 162 14.1
Wealden 600 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 115 28.1
Ashford 516 3.8% 3.1% 4.7% 145 18.1
Chichester 562 3.8% 3.2% 4.1% 173 17.0
Lewes 493 3.7% 3.2% 3.8% 140 17.4
Maidstone 520 3.7% 3.1% 4.4% 83 32.5
New Forest 606 3.6% 3.1% 3.3% 177 17.2
Reading 362 3.6% 2.9% 5.1% 189 9.1
Havant 510 3.5% 2.7% 4.8% 72 29.4
Worthing 467 3.4% 2.8% 3.6% 255 7.4
Arun 532 3.3% 2.9% 3.3% 166 14.1
Spelthorne 496 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 160 16.3
Adur 476 3.2% 2.6% 4.1% 168 11.2
Crawley 435 3.2% 2.5% 4.9% 223 8.2
Gravesham 465 3.2% 2.6% 5.6% 78 28.8
Medway 461 3.2% 2.5% 4.7% 79 25.3
Rother 551 3.2% 2.8% 3.9% 67 38.3
Swale 497 3.2% 2.7% 5.4% 107 20.3
Dover 499 3.0% 2.6% 4.2% 137 15.2
Folkestone and Hythe 498 3.0% 2.5% 4.3% 211 9.9
Eastbourne 428 2.9% 2.2% 6.9% 116 13.0
Isle of Wight 500 2.8% 2.3% 4.2% 135 12.5
Thanet 461 2.8% 2.2% 5.0% 98 17.1
Gosport 475 2.7% 2.2% 3.3% 100 16.3
Southampton 372 2.7% 2.0% 4.5% 70 17.4
Hastings 417 2.5% 2.0% 4.8% 52 26.5

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 7,181,219 licensed vehicles in South East 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 828,689 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
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in the South East 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.
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.