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Southampton motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
119,422 licensed vehicles in Southampton
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 100,548 +0.6% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 370 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 2,499 2.5% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 1.8% 38th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 181 70 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.6% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Southampton?

There were 100,548 licensed cars in Southampton at the end of March 2026, and 119,422 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 14.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 370 for every 1,000 residents, 51st lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Southampton

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Southampton at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 106,93788,034
2011 109,31388,462
2012 104,77387,663
2013 105,02488,150
2014 106,74589,760
2015 109,05691,692
2016 111,78793,959
2017 114,62696,212
2018 113,57396,664
2019 114,72297,672
2020 115,12598,039
2021 114,75497,288
2022 115,77897,853
2023 116,24698,240
2024 117,41499,111
2025 118,67099,969
2026 119,422100,548

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, Southampton compared
Year SouthamptonSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 376534–
2012 368535–
2013 371541–
2014 376547–
2015 376551473
2016 379559480
2017 384567488
2018 386570490
2019 393572493
2020 389561489
2021 396564493
2022 389565489
2023 384567489
2024 384570490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Southampton

57.1% of cars in Southampton run on petrol and 30.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 34.5% in 2022. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.3%, and cars that plug in 3.8%.

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 Southampton, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 78.3%21.5%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 76.3%23.4%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 75.0%24.7%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 73.0%26.7%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 70.8%28.6%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 69.0%30.3%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 67.4%31.8%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2017 65.8%33.2%0.7%0.1%0.0%
2018 64.8%33.9%1.0%0.1%0.1%
2019 64.0%34.1%1.4%0.1%0.1%
2020 63.6%34.0%1.8%0.2%0.2%
2021 62.6%34.3%2.3%0.3%0.3%
2022 61.3%34.5%3.1%0.6%0.4%
2023 60.1%34.3%4.0%0.9%0.5%
2024 59.1%33.6%5.2%1.2%0.7%
2025 58.3%32.1%6.6%1.8%0.9%
2026 57.1%30.6%8.3%2.5%1.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Southampton

2,499 battery electric cars were licensed in Southampton at the end of March 2026, 2.5% of all cars, 44th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,776 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,765.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 1.8% are battery electric (1,729 cars), 3rd lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 30.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.6% of its cars overall. There are also 179 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, Southampton compared, end of March each year
Year SouthamptonSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2016 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.5%0.3%
2021 0.3%1.0%0.7%
2022 0.6%1.9%1.3%
2023 0.9%3.0%2.1%
2024 1.2%4.2%3.0%
2025 1.8%5.7%4.1%
2026 2.5%8.7%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Southampton

There were 181 public chargers in Southampton on 1 July 2026, 35 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 70 for every 100,000 residents, 38th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 6.5% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 16.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Southampton (UK 11.9), 173rd most 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 Southampton by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 17037
Apr 2026 17137
Jul 2026 18135

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Southampton compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Southampton 7014
South East 15940
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Southampton has 33 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.3% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Southampton with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Southampton 009 2,406 93 3.9% 5.0%
Southampton 011 4,157 132 3.2% 4.7%
Southampton 001 3,643 101 2.8% 5.4%
Southampton 006 3,133 77 2.5% 4.0%
Southampton 024 3,583 81 2.3% 3.5%
Southampton 020 3,363 75 2.2% 3.1%
Southampton 014 4,392 89 2.0% 2.9%
Southampton 031 4,993 100 2.0% 3.1%
Southampton 026 4,493 80 1.8% 2.5%
Southampton 030 3,764 67 1.8% 2.7%
Lowest electric shares
Southampton 033 1,757 6 0.3% 1.3%
Southampton 022 3,459 18 0.5% 1.5%
Southampton 023 1,850 13 0.7% 1.8%
Southampton 013 2,652 18 0.7% 1.5%
Southampton 012 3,206 23 0.7% 1.7%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 4 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Southampton

Vehicles travelled an estimated 623 million miles on roads in Southampton in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Southampton
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 631
1994 639
1995 649
1996 657
1997 661
1998 668
1999 684
2000 681
2001 676
2002 691
2003 682
2004 679
2005 669
2006 658
2007 653
2008 619
2009 599
2010 593
2011 606
2012 607
2013 607
2014 621
2015 628
2016 627
2017 634
2018 648
2019 637
2020 502
2021 543
2022 595
2023 603
2024 617
2025 623

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Southampton, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 43691
2022 48591
2023 42885
2024 465108
2025 488118

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Southampton

Unleaded petrol averages 172.4p a litre across 17 filling stations in Southampton, 0.7p above the UK average. Diesel averages 195.4p, 0.8p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Costco Wholesale Southampton Southampton 162.9p
  2. BP Manor Southampton 168.9p
  3. Texaco Queensway Service Station Southampton 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Southampton

How Southampton compares

Southampton compared with the South East, England, the UK
Southampton 370 2.5% 1.8% 4.6% 70 16.3
South East 496 8.7% 3.2% 18.1% 159 16.9
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 East

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

Councils in the South East
Windsor and Maidenhead 518 38.0% 3.8% 83.1% 150 23.3
Milton Keynes 455 26.5% 4.4% 61.6% 323 9.0
Slough 382 25.1% 2.6% 51.0% 100 20.4
Portsmouth 361 8.2% 1.6% 36.4% 203 4.8
Elmbridge 528 5.7% 4.5% 4.2% 181 30.9
Cherwell 512 5.2% 3.5% 14.2% 204 13.8
Wokingham 540 5.2% 4.6% 3.1% 159 19.0
Winchester 523 5.0% 4.3% 4.8% 213 17.3
Hart 595 4.9% 3.9% 4.2% 210 23.2
Vale of White Horse 539 4.9% 4.4% 3.1% 194 17.8
Guildford 499 4.8% 4.1% 4.7% 182 19.6
Waverley 565 4.7% 4.2% 2.9% 155 31.6
Epsom and Ewell 461 4.6% 3.7% 4.0% 131 27.0
South Oxfordshire 559 4.6% 3.9% 3.3% 121 28.5
Buckinghamshire 543 4.5% 3.8% 4.1% 141 24.7
Mole Valley 591 4.5% 3.6% 15.6% 286 12.5
Reigate and Banstead 498 4.4% 3.4% 9.3% 123 35.9
Runnymede 496 4.4% 3.4% 6.0% 246 13.8
Surrey Heath 572 4.4% 3.8% 3.4% 207 20.9
Sevenoaks 551 4.3% 3.6% 5.0% 95 37.2
Dartford 441 4.2% 3.4% 5.6% 194 14.5
Eastleigh 539 4.2% 3.3% 4.5% 117 23.6
West Berkshire 557 4.2% 3.6% 4.2% 283 12.0
Basingstoke and Deane 524 4.1% 3.6% 3.2% 141 20.9
East Hampshire 594 4.1% 3.6% 3.3% 84 42.9
Mid Sussex 531 4.1% 3.5% 5.0% 176 17.8
Rushmoor 480 4.1% 2.3% 63.7% 156 11.4
Test Valley 561 4.1% 3.5% 3.9% 118 26.7
Tonbridge and Malling 530 4.1% 3.3% 5.9% 128 18.3
Horsham 580 4.0% 3.4% 3.4% 195 16.4
Tandridge 552 4.0% 3.3% 3.8% 138 30.0
Bracknell Forest 528 3.9% 3.3% 18.1% 159 20.5
Fareham 564 3.9% 3.4% 3.0% 62 47.8
Oxford 280 3.9% 3.0% 5.6% 167 8.2
West Oxfordshire 549 3.9% 3.4% 4.3% 195 15.6
Woking 514 3.9% 3.4% 3.2% 274 12.1
Tunbridge Wells 515 3.8% 3.2% 3.8% 113 25.5
Brighton and Hove 308 3.7% 2.9% 5.3% 283 5.9
Wealden 594 3.6% 3.0% 3.4% 115 26.5
Ashford 511 3.5% 2.8% 4.7% 145 15.9
Canterbury 454 3.5% 2.8% 4.7% 162 14.5
Chichester 557 3.5% 2.9% 4.0% 173 14.7
Lewes 489 3.5% 2.9% 3.8% 140 15.1
Maidstone 515 3.4% 2.8% 4.4% 83 29.6
New Forest 603 3.3% 2.8% 3.3% 177 17.2
Reading 360 3.3% 2.6% 5.1% 189 8.3
Havant 507 3.2% 2.4% 4.8% 72 29.7
Spelthorne 493 3.2% 2.6% 3.6% 160 18.5
Worthing 465 3.1% 2.5% 3.5% 255 7.1
Arun 529 3.0% 2.5% 3.3% 166 12.8
Crawley 433 3.0% 2.3% 4.9% 223 6.9
Gravesham 461 3.0% 2.4% 5.5% 78 24.7
Medway 458 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 79 25.7
Adur 473 2.9% 2.4% 4.0% 168 10.0
Rother 546 2.9% 2.5% 3.9% 67 36.7
Dover 497 2.8% 2.3% 4.2% 137 13.6
Swale 493 2.8% 2.4% 5.4% 107 18.1
Folkestone and Hythe 494 2.7% 2.3% 4.3% 211 9.2
Eastbourne 427 2.6% 1.9% 6.7% 116 12.4
Isle of Wight 498 2.6% 2.1% 4.2% 135 11.2
Thanet 457 2.6% 2.0% 5.1% 98 18.8
Southampton 370 2.5% 1.8% 4.6% 70 16.3
Gosport 473 2.4% 2.0% 3.3% 100 14.9
Hastings 415 2.4% 1.8% 4.8% 52 19.1

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 119,422 licensed vehicles in Southampton 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 4,025 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 Southampton 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.