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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
120,206 licensed vehicles in Southampton
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 100,951 +0.9% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 372 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 2,729 2.7% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.0% 31st lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 181 70 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.5% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Southampton?

There were 100,951 licensed cars in Southampton at the end of June 2026, and 120,206 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 14.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 372 for every 1,000 residents, 51st lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

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 108,77388,393
2011 110,44488,594
2012 104,80787,624
2013 106,10888,898
2014 108,20390,748
2015 109,67092,004
2016 112,45194,259
2017 115,01396,267
2018 113,87796,727
2019 115,16397,892
2020 113,87696,757
2021 116,16598,158
2022 116,27798,089
2023 117,24498,854
2024 118,16999,532
2025 118,986100,007
2026 120,206100,951

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, 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

56.8% of cars in Southampton run on petrol and 30.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 34.4% in 2022. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.7%, and cars that plug in 4.1%.

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 Southampton, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 77.7%22.1%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 75.8%23.9%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 74.5%25.2%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 72.5%27.0%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 70.4%29.0%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 68.7%30.6%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 67.1%32.1%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2017 65.7%33.3%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2018 64.6%34.0%1.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 64.0%34.0%1.5%0.1%0.2%
2020 63.4%34.3%1.9%0.2%0.2%
2021 62.3%34.3%2.6%0.3%0.3%
2022 61.1%34.4%3.3%0.6%0.4%
2023 59.8%34.2%4.2%1.0%0.5%
2024 59.0%33.2%5.5%1.3%0.7%
2025 58.0%31.8%7.0%1.9%1.0%
2026 56.8%30.1%8.7%2.7%1.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Southampton

2,729 battery electric cars were licensed in Southampton at the end of June 2026, 2.7% of all cars, 39th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,119 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,908.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.0% are battery electric (1,959 cars), 3rd lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 28.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.5% of its cars overall. There are also 195 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%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.5%0.4%
2021 0.3%1.1%0.8%
2022 0.6%2.2%1.5%
2023 1.0%3.3%2.3%
2024 1.3%4.5%3.2%
2025 1.9%6.4%4.4%
2026 2.7%9.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 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 17.4 privately kept plug-in cars in Southampton (UK 12.9), 179th 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, 1.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.2%. 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 2,418 101 4.2% 5.7%
Southampton 011 4,211 145 3.4% 5.0%
Southampton 001 3,689 123 3.3% 6.1%
Southampton 006 3,152 90 2.9% 4.6%
Southampton 024 3,600 91 2.5% 4.0%
Southampton 020 3,406 80 2.3% 3.3%
Southampton 014 4,391 98 2.2% 3.2%
Southampton 031 4,982 106 2.1% 3.4%
Southampton 026 4,553 89 2.0% 2.7%
Southampton 030 3,799 74 1.9% 3.1%
Lowest electric shares
Southampton 033 1,746 6 0.3% 1.4%
Southampton 022 3,534 19 0.5% 1.6%
Southampton 015 3,624 23 0.6% 1.6%
Southampton 013 2,691 20 0.7% 1.6%
Southampton 004 2,952 20 0.7% 1.8%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 3 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 173.2p a litre across 15 filling stations in Southampton, 1.7p above the UK average. Diesel averages 200.9p, 2.2p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Costco Wholesale Southampton Southampton 165.9p
  2. BP Manor Southampton 169.9p
  3. Esso MFG Northam Southampton 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Southampton

How Southampton compares

Southampton compared with the South East, England, the UK
Southampton 372 2.7% 2.0% 4.5% 70 17.4
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 Southampton

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Southampton, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 50.3% at Southampton (Maybush).

Other centres in the South East:

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 120,206 licensed vehicles in Southampton 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 4,389 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 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.