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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
331,216 licensed vehicles in South Gloucestershire
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 251,648 +1.8% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 520 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 47,948 19.1% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.1% 120th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 495 162 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 36.8% UK 9.9%

Company fleets. 36.8% of cars registered in South Gloucestershire have a company as their keeper, against 9.9% 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 251,648 licensed cars in South Gloucestershire at the end of March 2026, and 331,216 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 78.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 520 for every 1,000 residents, 111th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).

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 168,438141,255
2011 169,610142,370
2012 168,407140,687
2013 169,919142,049
2014 173,535144,750
2015 175,823146,624
2016 179,873149,629
2017 187,892155,718
2018 293,371241,681
2019 310,284249,149
2020 323,834258,016
2021 315,218248,325
2022 325,475251,651
2023 329,679251,301
2024 333,157250,370
2025 334,067247,157
2026 331,216251,648

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, 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

47.9% of cars in South Gloucestershire run on petrol and 16.2% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 46.0% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 11.1%, and cars that plug in 24.5%.

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 South Gloucestershire, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 75.1%24.6%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 73.5%26.1%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 71.6%28.0%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 70.0%29.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 68.4%31.1%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 66.8%32.5%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 65.3%33.8%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2017 63.6%35.4%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2018 52.0%46.0%1.3%0.1%0.5%
2019 55.0%42.3%1.7%0.2%0.8%
2020 59.5%36.9%2.3%0.3%1.0%
2021 60.0%32.1%3.3%2.8%1.6%
2022 58.3%27.3%4.5%6.9%2.7%
2023 56.4%23.6%5.5%10.6%3.5%
2024 54.3%20.7%6.4%13.9%4.4%
2025 52.0%18.4%7.9%16.4%5.0%
2026 47.9%16.2%11.1%19.1%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in South Gloucestershire

47,948 battery electric cars were licensed in South Gloucestershire at the end of March 2026, 19.1% of all cars, 8th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 61,626 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 40,452.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.1% are battery electric (4,910 cars), 6th highest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 89.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 36.8% of its cars overall. There are also 1,909 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 0.3%0.4%0.3%
2021 2.8%1.0%0.7%
2022 6.9%2.1%1.3%
2023 10.6%3.2%2.1%
2024 13.9%4.2%3.0%
2025 16.4%5.2%4.1%
2026 19.1%4.9%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 15.8 privately kept plug-in cars in South Gloucestershire (UK 11.9), 180th 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, 2.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.5%. 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 4,940 220 4.5% 7.0%
South Gloucestershire 035 2,994 125 4.2% 6.0%
South Gloucestershire 005 7,344 304 4.1% 6.1%
South Gloucestershire 001 6,552 260 4.0% 5.6%
South Gloucestershire 021 7,383 272 3.7% 5.8%
South Gloucestershire 002 4,813 169 3.5% 5.3%
South Gloucestershire 003 7,008 241 3.4% 5.5%
South Gloucestershire 004 5,589 188 3.4% 5.3%
South Gloucestershire 013 4,967 167 3.4% 5.3%
South Gloucestershire 016 4,326 142 3.3% 5.0%
Lowest electric shares
South Gloucestershire 027 4,188 40 1.0% 1.8%
South Gloucestershire 014 4,318 43 1.0% 1.9%
South Gloucestershire 028 5,190 72 1.4% 2.3%
South Gloucestershire 026 5,299 74 1.4% 2.4%
South Gloucestershire 025 4,188 62 1.5% 3.2%

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

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 172.9p a litre across 30 filling stations in South Gloucestershire, 1.2p above the UK average. Diesel averages 196.2p, 1.6p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

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

Every filling station and price in South Gloucestershire

How South Gloucestershire compares

South Gloucestershire compared with the South West, England, the UK
South Gloucestershire 520 19.1% 3.1% 36.8% 162 15.8
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 331,216 licensed vehicles in South Gloucestershire 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 64,024 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 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.