South East · District council
South Oxfordshire motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in South Oxfordshire, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how South Oxfordshire compares with the South East. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 91,131 +0.9% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 563 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 4,424 4.9% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 4.2% 36th highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 189 121 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 3.3% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in South Oxfordshire?
There were 91,131 licensed cars in South Oxfordshire at the end of June 2026, and 110,934 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 563 for every 1,000 residents, 36th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in South Oxfordshire
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 91,341 | 76,370 |
| 2011 | 92,116 | 77,041 |
| 2012 | 93,301 | 77,950 |
| 2013 | 94,348 | 78,711 |
| 2014 | 96,398 | 80,400 |
| 2015 | 97,259 | 81,102 |
| 2016 | 99,062 | 82,482 |
| 2017 | 100,829 | 83,586 |
| 2018 | 101,642 | 84,302 |
| 2019 | 103,340 | 85,624 |
| 2020 | 102,387 | 85,020 |
| 2021 | 104,981 | 86,994 |
| 2022 | 106,559 | 87,549 |
| 2023 | 107,633 | 88,237 |
| 2024 | 109,078 | 89,683 |
| 2025 | 109,730 | 90,285 |
| 2026 | 110,934 | 91,131 |
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.
| Year | South Oxfordshire | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 571 | 534 | – |
| 2012 | 572 | 535 | – |
| 2013 | 573 | 541 | – |
| 2014 | 578 | 547 | – |
| 2015 | 578 | 551 | 473 |
| 2016 | 583 | 559 | 480 |
| 2017 | 588 | 567 | 488 |
| 2018 | 589 | 570 | 490 |
| 2019 | 591 | 572 | 493 |
| 2020 | 579 | 561 | 489 |
| 2021 | 580 | 564 | 493 |
| 2022 | 576 | 565 | 489 |
| 2023 | 573 | 567 | 489 |
| 2024 | 573 | 570 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in South Oxfordshire
58.3% of cars in South Oxfordshire run on petrol and 26.9% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 37.4% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.9%, and cars that plug in 7.5%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72.2% | 27.2% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 70.0% | 29.4% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 68.2% | 31.2% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 66.3% | 32.9% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 64.6% | 34.5% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 63.1% | 35.9% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 61.9% | 36.9% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 61.2% | 37.4% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2018 | 61.1% | 37.1% | 1.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2019 | 61.2% | 36.6% | 1.2% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| 2020 | 61.2% | 36.2% | 1.4% | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| 2021 | 61.2% | 35.2% | 1.8% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 60.8% | 34.1% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| 2023 | 60.3% | 32.9% | 3.0% | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| 2024 | 59.8% | 31.2% | 4.1% | 2.9% | 1.7% |
| 2025 | 59.3% | 29.1% | 5.3% | 3.7% | 2.1% |
| 2026 | 58.3% | 26.9% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 2.7% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in South Oxfordshire
4,424 battery electric cars were licensed in South Oxfordshire at the end of June 2026, 4.9% of all cars, 59th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 6,848 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 3,372.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.2% are battery electric (3,720 cars), 8th highest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 15.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.3% of its cars overall. There are also 174 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.
| Year | South Oxfordshire | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.5% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 2.2% | 3.3% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 2.9% | 4.5% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 3.7% | 6.4% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 4.9% | 9.3% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in South Oxfordshire
There were 189 public chargers in South Oxfordshire on 1 July 2026, 38 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 121 for every 100,000 residents, 137th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 1.6% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 31.5 privately kept plug-in cars in South Oxfordshire (UK 12.9), 38th most of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.
Public chargers
| Date | All public chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 186 | 41 |
| Apr 2026 | 195 | 41 |
| Jul 2026 | 189 | 38 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| South Oxfordshire | 121 | 24 |
| Oxfordshire | 175 | 42 |
| South East | 159 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
South Oxfordshire has 20 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Oxfordshire 019 | 5,155 | 251 | 4.9% | |
| South Oxfordshire 006 | 5,966 | 264 | 4.4% | |
| South Oxfordshire 018 | 6,286 | 274 | 4.4% | |
| South Oxfordshire 015 | 8,217 | 342 | 4.2% | |
| South Oxfordshire 009 | 5,314 | 219 | 4.1% | |
| South Oxfordshire 002 | 4,019 | 161 | 4.0% | |
| South Oxfordshire 012 | 6,269 | 252 | 4.0% | |
| South Oxfordshire 010 | 5,083 | 200 | 3.9% | |
| South Oxfordshire 017 | 3,665 | 139 | 3.8% | |
| South Oxfordshire 003 | 4,803 | 172 | 3.6% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| South Oxfordshire 013 | 2,900 | 71 | 2.4% | |
| South Oxfordshire 014 | 3,643 | 94 | 2.6% | |
| South Oxfordshire 020 | 4,376 | 146 | 3.3% | |
| South Oxfordshire 001 | 3,302 | 108 | 3.3% | |
| South Oxfordshire 016 | 3,546 | 120 | 3.4% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in South Oxfordshire
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 153 | 51 |
| 2022 | 166 | 54 |
| 2023 | 152 | 48 |
| 2024 | 142 | 57 |
| 2025 | 142 | 33 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in South Oxfordshire
Unleaded petrol averages 176.2p a litre across 8 filling stations in South Oxfordshire, 4.7p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.0p, 0.3p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- BP MFG Nettlebed Nettlebed 172.9p
- Sainsbury's Didcot Didcot 172.9p
- Asda Wheatley Superstore Wheatley 174.9p
How South Oxfordshire compares
| South Oxfordshire | 563 | 4.9% | 121 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxfordshire | 486 | 5.0% | 175 |
| South East | 499 | 9.3% | 159 |
| England | 440 | 6.2% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 444 | 5.8% | 175 |
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 Oxfordshire
There is no DVSA car practical test centre in South Oxfordshire. The nearest centres are elsewhere in Oxfordshire.
Centres in Oxfordshire:
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 Oxfordshire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Cherwell | 515 | 5.9% | 204 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vale of White Horse | 542 | 5.2% | 194 |
| South Oxfordshire | 563 | 4.9% | 121 |
| Oxford | 279 | 4.2% | 167 |
| West Oxfordshire | 553 | 4.2% | 195 |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 110,934 licensed vehicles in South Oxfordshire | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 7,091 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 Oxfordshire 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.
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.