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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
66,021 licensed vehicles in Southwark
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 55,162 +0.6% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 161 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 2,784 5.0% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.2% 18th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 1,945 618 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 8.1% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Southwark?

There were 55,162 licensed cars in Southwark at the end of March 2026, and 66,021 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 7.2% fewer cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 161 for every 1,000 residents, 6th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

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 72,71559,462
2011 71,08458,627
2012 69,20557,684
2013 68,75457,267
2014 68,57256,904
2015 68,35856,638
2016 69,09857,284
2017 69,64457,860
2018 68,96757,656
2019 68,33357,538
2020 67,65957,414
2021 68,80458,717
2022 66,17956,060
2023 66,18655,383
2024 65,25854,977
2025 65,33754,830
2026 66,02155,162

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, 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

67.7% of cars in Southwark run on petrol and 13.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 29.2% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.2%, and cars that plug in 8.6%.

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 Southwark, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 82.1%17.0%0.6%0.1%0.0%
2011 80.0%19.0%0.6%0.1%0.0%
2012 77.7%21.2%0.8%0.1%0.0%
2013 75.5%23.4%0.9%0.1%0.0%
2014 73.5%25.0%1.1%0.1%0.0%
2015 72.0%26.3%1.4%0.1%0.0%
2016 69.8%28.0%1.8%0.1%0.1%
2017 68.1%29.1%2.1%0.2%0.2%
2018 67.4%29.2%2.5%0.2%0.4%
2019 68.3%27.4%3.0%0.3%0.7%
2020 69.8%24.9%3.6%0.5%1.0%
2021 71.5%21.8%4.2%1.0%1.4%
2022 74.2%16.7%5.3%1.8%1.9%
2023 73.4%15.6%6.1%2.5%2.1%
2024 72.0%14.6%7.3%3.3%2.5%
2025 69.8%13.9%8.7%4.3%2.9%
2026 67.7%13.1%10.2%5.0%3.6%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Southwark

2,784 battery electric cars were licensed in Southwark at the end of March 2026, 5.0% of all cars, 35th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,762 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,347.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.2% are battery electric (2,107 cars), 9th highest of 33 councils in London. Companies keep 24.3% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 8.1% of its cars overall. There are also 220 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 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.3%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.5%0.5%0.3%
2021 1.0%0.9%0.7%
2022 1.8%1.8%1.3%
2023 2.5%2.9%2.1%
2024 3.3%4.2%3.0%
2025 4.3%5.4%4.1%
2026 5.0%6.6%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 2.0 privately kept plug-in cars in Southwark (UK 11.9), 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, 3.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 8.0%. 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 2,906 232 8.0% 14.5%
Southwark 033 2,616 155 5.9% 9.6%
Southwark 002 1,258 70 5.6% 9.9%
Southwark 024 1,861 104 5.6% 8.3%
Southwark 034 1,210 66 5.5% 9.2%
Southwark 027 1,445 63 4.4% 7.9%
Southwark 030 2,289 97 4.2% 7.8%
Southwark 006 1,526 62 4.1% 8.2%
Southwark 025 1,956 78 4.0% 6.5%
Southwark 029 2,058 82 4.0% 7.3%
Lowest electric shares
Southwark 015 1,148 30 2.6% 4.8%
Southwark 019 1,833 49 2.7% 5.9%
Southwark 017 1,312 35 2.7% 6.3%
Southwark 007 1,542 42 2.7% 5.4%
Southwark 001 1,720 47 2.7% 6.9%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 6 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 172.1p a litre across 14 filling stations in Southwark, 0.4p above the UK average. Diesel averages 195.0p, 0.4p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Old Kent Road Superstore London 167.7p
  2. Tesco Canada Water Extra London 167.9p
  3. Tesco Southwark Superstore London 167.9p

Every filling station and price in Southwark

How Southwark compares

Southwark compared with London, England, the UK
Southwark 161 5.0% 4.2% 8.1% 618 2.0
London 263 6.6% 3.7% 9.4% 345 5.5
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 London

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

Councils in London
Westminster 178 55.1% 7.6% 57.8% 1,378 1.7
City of London 79 32.0% 7.8% 55.7% 443 2.5
Hammersmith and Fulham 199 18.3% 5.0% 22.2% 1,380 1.4
Camden 158 9.5% 7.5% 12.3% 378 5.3
Kensington and Chelsea 238 7.4% 6.6% 8.0% 637 4.7
Brent 231 7.1% 3.8% 12.5% 367 4.8
Barnet 321 6.4% 5.2% 7.0% 288 9.6
Islington 132 5.9% 4.5% 11.6% 386 3.5
Richmond upon Thames 358 5.4% 4.5% 5.5% 642 4.8
Harrow 335 5.2% 4.0% 6.1% 120 20.9
Hillingdon 361 5.2% 3.2% 15.5% 121 19.8
Merton 293 5.0% 4.1% 5.6% 436 5.3
Southwark 161 5.0% 4.2% 8.1% 618 2.0
Wandsworth 214 5.0% 4.2% 5.0% 532 3.4
Kingston upon Thames 353 4.9% 4.2% 3.9% 242 10.8
Tower Hamlets 127 4.9% 3.6% 10.9% 776 1.6
Ealing 272 4.6% 3.5% 7.5% 264 7.2
Hackney 137 4.5% 3.3% 10.4% 638 1.5
Haringey 213 4.5% 3.5% 8.7% 135 10.7
Lambeth 176 4.4% 3.6% 6.5% 244 5.2
Redbridge 301 4.4% 3.5% 7.1% 198 11.5
Barking and Dagenham 262 4.2% 2.9% 8.4% 100 18.6
Bromley 407 4.2% 3.5% 4.3% 67 39.1
Croydon 316 4.1% 3.3% 5.4% 153 12.9
Hounslow 299 4.1% 3.1% 6.7% 233 8.7
Sutton 377 4.0% 3.3% 4.2% 118 19.8
Greenwich 238 3.9% 3.2% 6.3% 101 14.8
Havering 387 3.6% 2.7% 6.0% 95 23.6
Newham 167 3.6% 2.8% 9.3% 159 7.6
Waltham Forest 250 3.5% 2.7% 7.6% 663 2.1
Enfield 333 3.4% 2.7% 6.8% 137 17.3
Lewisham 232 3.4% 2.9% 5.6% 133 11.4
Bexley 381 3.3% 2.8% 6.2% 269 7.5

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 66,021 licensed vehicles in Southwark 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 7,204 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 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.