My Garage

Popular searches

South West · Unitary authority

South Gloucestershire motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
333,552 licensed vehicles in South Gloucestershire
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 254,250 +3.4% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 523 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 47,886 18.8% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.4% 130th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 495 162 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 37.0% UK 10.0%

Company fleets. 37.0% of cars registered in South Gloucestershire have a company as their keeper, against 10.0% across the UK. 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 South Gloucestershire?

There were 254,250 licensed cars in South Gloucestershire at the end of June 2026, and 333,552 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 78.5% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 523 for every 1,000 residents, 114th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in South Gloucestershire

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in South Gloucestershire at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 170,192142,464
2011 170,024142,160
2012 169,749141,415
2013 172,228143,471
2014 175,858146,066
2015 177,649147,569
2016 181,185150,055
2017 193,088159,026
2018 294,366242,014
2019 314,830251,504
2020 315,294251,192
2021 319,104249,353
2022 325,906250,610
2023 331,744251,589
2024 333,642249,217
2025 333,998245,778
2026 333,552254,250

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, South Gloucestershire compared
Year South GloucestershireSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 540524–
2012 532527–
2013 535533–
2014 541541–
2015 542546473
2016 544550480
2017 571565488
2018 859569490
2019 884580493
2020 875573489
2021 857575493
2022 848571489
2023 837570489
2024 814571490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in South Gloucestershire

47.0% of cars in South Gloucestershire run on petrol and 15.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 45.1% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 12.7%, and cars that plug in 24.4%.

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 South Gloucestershire, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 74.9%24.8%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 73.0%26.7%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 71.2%28.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 69.8%29.8%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 68.0%31.4%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 66.5%32.8%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 65.0%34.2%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2017 63.0%35.9%0.7%0.1%0.2%
2018 52.5%45.1%1.4%0.1%0.7%
2019 56.3%40.8%1.8%0.2%0.8%
2020 60.2%36.0%2.3%0.4%1.0%
2021 59.9%30.6%3.6%3.6%2.0%
2022 58.1%26.4%4.8%7.4%2.9%
2023 55.8%22.7%5.7%11.8%3.6%
2024 54.2%20.2%6.6%14.1%4.6%
2025 51.3%18.0%8.3%17.0%5.2%
2026 47.0%15.6%12.7%18.8%5.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in South Gloucestershire

47,886 battery electric cars were licensed in South Gloucestershire at the end of June 2026, 18.8% of all cars, 9th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 61,968 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 41,739.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.4% are battery electric (5,439 cars), 6th highest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 88.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 37.0% of its cars overall. There are also 1,647 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, South Gloucestershire compared, end of March each year
Year South GloucestershireSouth 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 0.4%0.4%0.4%
2021 3.6%1.2%0.8%
2022 7.4%2.3%1.5%
2023 11.8%3.5%2.3%
2024 14.1%4.4%3.2%
2025 17.0%5.4%4.4%
2026 18.8%5.2%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in South Gloucestershire

There were 495 public chargers in South Gloucestershire on 1 July 2026, 259 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 162 for every 100,000 residents, 136th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 0.4% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 17.1 privately kept plug-in cars in South Gloucestershire (UK 12.9), 177th 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 South Gloucestershire by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 497245
Apr 2026 489252
Jul 2026 495259

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, South Gloucestershire compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
South Gloucestershire 16285
South West 15750
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

South Gloucestershire has 34 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.1% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.8%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in South Gloucestershire with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
South Gloucestershire 036 4,985 240 4.8% 7.7%
South Gloucestershire 035 3,027 140 4.6% 6.5%
South Gloucestershire 005 7,456 336 4.5% 6.6%
South Gloucestershire 001 6,584 289 4.4% 6.1%
South Gloucestershire 021 7,390 297 4.0% 6.2%
South Gloucestershire 002 4,881 186 3.8% 5.6%
South Gloucestershire 003 7,098 271 3.8% 5.8%
South Gloucestershire 013 5,018 184 3.7% 5.7%
South Gloucestershire 004 5,658 201 3.6% 5.5%
South Gloucestershire 009 5,921 209 3.5% 5.2%
Lowest electric shares
South Gloucestershire 027 4,219 50 1.2% 2.2%
South Gloucestershire 014 4,335 51 1.2% 2.2%
South Gloucestershire 026 5,351 83 1.6% 2.5%
South Gloucestershire 010 4,531 71 1.6% 2.7%
South Gloucestershire 028 5,214 91 1.7% 2.7%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 1 neighbourhood is left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in South Gloucestershire

Vehicles travelled an estimated 2,689 million miles on roads in South Gloucestershire in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in South Gloucestershire
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 1,701
1994 1,739
1995 1,783
1996 1,848
1997 1,898
1998 1,955
1999 1,997
2000 2,051
2001 2,106
2002 2,198
2003 2,212
2004 2,264
2005 2,316
2006 2,375
2007 2,420
2008 2,414
2009 2,391
2010 2,363
2011 2,369
2012 2,325
2013 2,363
2014 2,460
2015 2,533
2016 2,595
2017 2,624
2018 2,634
2019 2,702
2020 2,074
2021 2,382
2022 2,554
2023 2,617
2024 2,645
2025 2,689

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in South Gloucestershire, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 36694
2022 35494
2023 34297
2024 32187
2025 414122

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in South Gloucestershire

Unleaded petrol averages 172.4p a litre across 22 filling stations in South Gloucestershire, 0.9p above the UK average. Diesel averages 200.5p, 1.8p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. BP Western Garage Bristol 165.9p
  2. Esso Charfield Service Station Wotton-Under-Edge 166.9p
  3. Esso Cotswold Service Station Bristol 168.9p

Every filling station and price in South Gloucestershire

How South Gloucestershire compares

South Gloucestershire compared with the South West, England, the UK
South Gloucestershire 523 18.8% 3.4% 37.0% 162 17.1
South West 509 5.2% 2.9% 9.6% 157 14.4
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 South Gloucestershire

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in South Gloucestershire. The nearest centres are elsewhere in the South West.

Centres in the South West:

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 West

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

Councils in the South West
South Gloucestershire 523 18.8% 3.4% 37.0% 162 17.1
Wiltshire 556 8.9% 3.2% 24.3% 117 23.3
Exeter 357 5.2% 2.8% 33.8% 259 5.6
Stroud 589 4.6% 4.1% 3.3% 199 17.4
Tewkesbury 567 4.5% 3.9% 3.7% 157 21.2
North Somerset 549 4.3% 3.6% 4.4% 107 28.3
Bath and North East Somerset 450 4.2% 3.7% 3.5% 90 28.8
Cotswold 606 4.2% 3.7% 3.7% 310 12.0
Cheltenham 466 3.9% 3.4% 3.5% 272 9.0
South Hams 572 3.9% 3.3% 3.7% 145 19.0
Swindon 471 3.8% 3.0% 5.3% 138 16.4
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 475 3.4% 2.8% 4.0% 112 18.3
Dorset 576 3.4% 2.9% 3.8% 196 12.8
East Devon 546 3.4% 3.0% 3.5% 200 12.7
Forest of Dean 581 3.4% 3.0% 3.6% 194 13.1
Gloucester 465 3.3% 2.6% 4.6% 149 12.7
Teignbridge 551 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 147 15.6
Isles of Scilly 238 3.2% 1.2% 5.1% 676 0.6
Mid Devon 562 3.1% 2.7% 3.9% 91 24.9
Somerset 560 3.1% 2.7% 3.7% 137 16.8
West Devon 564 3.1% 2.7% 3.5% 178 13.0
Bristol 362 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 99 13.7
Cornwall 528 3.0% 2.5% 4.4% 235 8.1
North Devon 518 2.7% 2.2% 4.2% 208 9.1
Torbay 469 2.6% 2.0% 4.7% 97 15.4
Torridge 555 2.6% 2.2% 4.5% 107 17.7
Plymouth 426 2.2% 1.7% 4.6% 162 7.3

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 333,552 licensed vehicles in South Gloucestershire 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 64,152 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 South Gloucestershire 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.