My Garage

Popular searches

London · London borough

Southwark motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
66,579 licensed vehicles in Southwark
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 55,495 +0.6% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 162 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 2,878 5.2% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.3% 30th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 1,945 618 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 8.1% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Southwark?

There were 55,495 licensed cars in Southwark at the end of June 2026, and 66,579 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 6.9% fewer cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 162 for every 1,000 residents, 6th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Southwark

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Southwark at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 73,22159,592
2011 70,71558,582
2012 69,21357,581
2013 69,28357,621
2014 69,04057,254
2015 68,85957,092
2016 69,34157,423
2017 69,77557,861
2018 69,01057,816
2019 68,38057,594
2020 67,75957,661
2021 68,59558,273
2022 66,06556,024
2023 66,18955,418
2024 65,06355,029
2025 65,83455,150
2026 66,57955,495

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, Southwark compared
Year SouthwarkLondonUnited Kingdom
2011 203313–
2012 197307–
2013 193303–
2014 191303–
2015 188303473
2016 187304480
2017 188306488
2018 186303490
2019 184301493
2020 185296489
2021 190300493
2022 181295489
2023 177290489
2024 175287490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Southwark

67.2% of cars in Southwark run on petrol and 12.9% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 29.2% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.6%, and cars that plug in 9.0%.

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 Southwark, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 81.6%17.5%0.6%0.1%0.0%
2011 79.4%19.6%0.7%0.1%0.0%
2012 77.2%21.7%0.8%0.1%0.0%
2013 74.8%24.0%0.9%0.1%0.0%
2014 73.0%25.4%1.2%0.1%0.0%
2015 71.4%26.8%1.4%0.1%0.1%
2016 69.3%28.3%1.9%0.1%0.1%
2017 67.9%29.2%2.3%0.2%0.3%
2018 67.3%29.2%2.6%0.3%0.4%
2019 68.8%26.7%3.2%0.4%0.8%
2020 70.1%24.5%3.6%0.6%1.1%
2021 72.0%20.7%4.4%1.1%1.6%
2022 74.0%16.3%5.6%1.9%2.0%
2023 73.0%15.4%6.4%2.7%2.2%
2024 71.5%14.4%7.6%3.6%2.6%
2025 69.3%13.7%9.1%4.5%3.1%
2026 67.2%12.9%10.6%5.2%3.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Southwark

2,878 battery electric cars were licensed in Southwark at the end of June 2026, 5.2% of all cars, 40th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,981 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,495.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.3% are battery electric (2,202 cars), 12th highest of 33 councils in London. Companies keep 23.5% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 8.1% of its cars overall. There are also 272 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, Southwark compared, end of March each year
Year SouthwarkLondonUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2018 0.3%0.3%0.1%
2019 0.4%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.6%0.5%0.4%
2021 1.1%1.1%0.8%
2022 1.9%2.0%1.5%
2023 2.7%3.2%2.3%
2024 3.6%4.5%3.2%
2025 4.5%5.7%4.4%
2026 5.2%7.0%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Southwark

There were 1,945 public chargers in Southwark on 1 July 2026, 70 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 618 for every 100,000 residents, 10th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 2.3% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 2.1 privately kept plug-in cars in Southwark (UK 12.9), 7th 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 Southwark by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 1,90255
Apr 2026 1,95075
Jul 2026 1,94570

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Southwark compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Southwark 61822
London 34528
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Southwark has 34 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 8.1%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Southwark with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Southwark 031 2,898 236 8.1% 15.0%
Southwark 002 1,276 79 6.2% 10.7%
Southwark 033 2,630 154 5.9% 9.8%
Southwark 024 1,865 109 5.8% 8.6%
Southwark 034 1,222 67 5.5% 9.7%
Southwark 035 872 43 4.9% 8.4%
Southwark 027 1,466 71 4.8% 8.4%
Southwark 030 2,282 100 4.4% 8.2%
Southwark 032 2,568 114 4.4% 8.2%
Southwark 025 1,952 83 4.3% 6.8%
Lowest electric shares
Southwark 017 1,317 37 2.8% 6.9%
Southwark 026 2,167 62 2.9% 5.0%
Southwark 001 1,710 50 2.9% 7.3%
Southwark 019 1,835 55 3.0% 6.3%
Southwark 008 1,890 56 3.0% 7.0%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 5 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Southwark

Vehicles travelled an estimated 434 million miles on roads in Southwark in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Southwark
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 529
1994 534
1995 539
1996 537
1997 541
1998 539
1999 555
2000 544
2001 547
2002 542
2003 531
2004 519
2005 517
2006 530
2007 525
2008 503
2009 493
2010 479
2011 473
2012 450
2013 441
2014 447
2015 452
2016 460
2017 453
2018 438
2019 446
2020 370
2021 418
2022 427
2023 430
2024 430
2025 434

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Southwark, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 988169
2022 1,026168
2023 1,026194
2024 875215
2025 924204

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Southwark

Unleaded petrol averages 172.6p a litre across 11 filling stations in Southwark, 1.1p above the UK average. Diesel averages 200.2p, 1.5p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Old Kent Road Superstore London 169.7p
  2. Esso MFG Dulwich Dulwich 169.9p
  3. MFG Morrisons Peckham Peckham 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Southwark

How Southwark compares

Southwark compared with London, England, the UK
Southwark 162 5.2% 4.3% 8.1% 618 2.1
London 264 7.0% 3.9% 9.8% 345 5.8
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 Southwark

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in Southwark. The nearest centres are elsewhere in London.

Centres in London:

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 London

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

Councils in London
Westminster 179 57.9% 7.7% 60.4% 1,378 1.8
City of London 79 24.6% 7.8% 50.4% 443 2.4
Hammersmith and Fulham 199 18.7% 5.2% 22.4% 1,380 1.5
Camden 159 9.7% 7.6% 12.6% 378 5.4
Kensington and Chelsea 239 7.4% 6.7% 8.5% 637 4.7
Brent 232 7.3% 4.0% 12.8% 367 5.1
Barnet 322 6.6% 5.4% 7.2% 288 10.1
Islington 132 6.0% 4.7% 11.6% 386 3.1
Richmond upon Thames 359 5.6% 4.7% 5.6% 642 5.0
Harrow 337 5.5% 4.3% 6.2% 120 22.8
Hillingdon 364 5.4% 3.4% 16.7% 121 20.1
Kingston upon Thames 354 5.2% 4.5% 3.9% 242 11.8
Merton 294 5.2% 4.4% 5.7% 436 5.6
Southwark 162 5.2% 4.3% 8.1% 618 2.1
Wandsworth 214 5.2% 4.4% 5.1% 532 3.6
Tower Hamlets 128 5.0% 3.8% 11.0% 776 1.7
Ealing 274 4.7% 3.6% 7.5% 264 7.6
Redbridge 302 4.7% 3.8% 7.2% 198 11.9
Hackney 138 4.6% 3.4% 10.4% 638 1.6
Haringey 214 4.6% 3.7% 8.9% 135 11.1
Bromley 409 4.5% 3.8% 4.4% 67 42.1
Lambeth 176 4.5% 3.8% 6.6% 244 5.4
Barking and Dagenham 264 4.4% 3.1% 8.6% 100 18.5
Croydon 318 4.3% 3.6% 5.5% 153 13.9
Hounslow 301 4.2% 3.2% 6.8% 233 8.9
Sutton 378 4.2% 3.6% 4.2% 118 20.5
Greenwich 239 4.1% 3.5% 6.3% 101 15.5
Havering 388 3.8% 2.9% 6.1% 95 24.0
Newham 168 3.8% 3.0% 9.3% 159 8.5
Enfield 334 3.6% 2.8% 6.9% 137 14.0
Lewisham 233 3.6% 3.1% 5.6% 133 10.5
Waltham Forest 251 3.6% 2.8% 7.6% 663 2.2
Bexley 382 3.5% 3.0% 6.3% 269 7.9

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 66,579 licensed vehicles in Southwark 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 7,546 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 Southwark 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.