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Torbay motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
84,092 licensed vehicles in Torbay
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 68,663 +0.5% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 467 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 1,604 2.3% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 1.8% 38th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 136 97 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.7% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Torbay?

There were 68,663 licensed cars in Torbay at the end of March 2026, and 84,092 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 12.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 467 for every 1,000 residents, 143rd lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Torbay

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Torbay at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 72,58361,168
2011 73,13261,519
2012 73,18161,507
2013 73,24161,671
2014 74,41262,498
2015 75,44663,082
2016 77,41564,602
2017 79,17065,908
2018 79,84566,536
2019 80,78267,134
2020 81,71067,665
2021 81,51967,324
2022 82,66667,695
2023 82,89467,699
2024 83,13968,054
2025 83,65068,302
2026 84,09268,663

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, Torbay compared
Year TorbaySouth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 470524–
2012 468527–
2013 468533–
2014 471541–
2015 472546473
2016 477550480
2017 482565488
2018 484569490
2019 486580493
2020 482573489
2021 487575493
2022 487571489
2023 487570489
2024 488571490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Torbay

57.8% of cars in Torbay run on petrol and 32.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 35.6% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.3%, and cars that plug in 3.5%.

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 Torbay, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 77.2%22.5%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 75.6%24.1%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 73.7%25.9%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 72.2%27.3%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 70.5%28.9%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 69.1%30.2%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 67.6%31.6%0.6%0.1%0.0%
2017 65.9%33.1%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2018 64.6%34.3%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2019 63.6%35.0%1.1%0.1%0.1%
2020 63.0%35.3%1.2%0.2%0.2%
2021 62.0%35.6%1.6%0.3%0.3%
2022 61.1%35.4%2.3%0.6%0.5%
2023 60.2%34.9%3.1%0.9%0.6%
2024 59.5%34.3%3.9%1.2%0.8%
2025 58.8%33.1%5.1%1.7%0.9%
2026 57.8%32.1%6.3%2.3%1.2%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Torbay

1,604 battery electric cars were licensed in Torbay at the end of March 2026, 2.3% of all cars, 22nd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,433 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,175.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 1.8% are battery electric (1,183 cars), 3rd lowest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 26.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.7% of its cars overall. There are also 60 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, Torbay compared, end of March each year
Year TorbaySouth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.4%0.3%
2021 0.3%1.0%0.7%
2022 0.6%2.1%1.3%
2023 0.9%3.2%2.1%
2024 1.2%4.2%3.0%
2025 1.7%5.2%4.1%
2026 2.3%4.9%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Torbay

There were 136 public chargers in Torbay on 1 July 2026, 50 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 97 for every 100,000 residents, 84th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 2.9% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 13.6 privately kept plug-in cars in Torbay (UK 11.9), 143rd 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 Torbay by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 14050
Apr 2026 13850
Jul 2026 13650

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Torbay compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Torbay 9736
South West 15750
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Torbay has 17 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.7% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.4%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Torbay with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Torbay 010 4,823 116 2.4% 4.1%
Torbay 016 4,680 99 2.1% 3.3%
Torbay 019 6,629 138 2.1% 3.0%
Torbay 003 6,211 117 1.9% 3.0%
Torbay 002 3,147 56 1.8% 3.0%
Torbay 011 5,915 109 1.8% 3.0%
Torbay 013 7,625 140 1.8% 2.5%
Torbay 015 4,307 74 1.7% 2.6%
Torbay 017 5,697 83 1.5% 2.4%
Torbay 008 2,899 32 1.1% 1.9%
Lowest electric shares
Torbay 014 4,143 19 0.5% 1.4%
Torbay 012 4,384 27 0.6% 1.6%
Torbay 005 2,868 16 0.6% 1.1%
Torbay 004 3,176 19 0.6% 1.3%
Torbay 006 3,019 21 0.7% 1.2%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 2 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Torbay

Vehicles travelled an estimated 425 million miles on roads in Torbay in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Torbay
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 343
1994 349
1995 356
1996 367
1997 372
1998 377
1999 385
2000 378
2001 386
2002 411
2003 412
2004 407
2005 400
2006 418
2007 423
2008 416
2009 417
2010 408
2011 412
2012 412
2013 410
2014 418
2015 419
2016 431
2017 434
2018 436
2019 432
2020 344
2021 382
2022 416
2023 420
2024 428
2025 425

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Torbay, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 23048
2022 16844
2023 19049
2024 16536
2025 17231

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Torbay

Unleaded petrol averages 168.4p a litre across 13 filling stations in Torbay, 3.3p below the UK average. Diesel averages 191.8p, 2.8p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Esso Hele Cross Service Station Limited Torquay 164.9p
  2. Sainsbury's Torquay Torquay 164.9p
  3. Phillips 66 - Jet Glendower Garage Torquay 165.9p

Every filling station and price in Torbay

How Torbay compares

Torbay compared with the South West, England, the UK
Torbay 467 2.3% 1.8% 4.7% 97 13.6
South West 506 4.9% 2.6% 9.6% 157 13.3
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 West

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

Councils in the South West
South Gloucestershire 520 19.1% 3.1% 36.8% 162 15.8
Wiltshire 552 8.4% 2.9% 24.1% 117 18.3
Exeter 355 4.5% 2.5% 34.1% 259 5.4
Stroud 585 4.2% 3.8% 3.4% 199 15.6
Tewkesbury 564 4.1% 3.5% 3.7% 157 22.2
Cotswold 602 4.0% 3.4% 3.7% 310 10.6
Bath and North East Somerset 449 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 90 26.8
North Somerset 546 3.9% 3.2% 4.4% 107 28.4
Cheltenham 464 3.6% 3.0% 3.5% 272 9.4
South Hams 568 3.6% 3.0% 3.8% 145 16.6
Swindon 468 3.5% 2.7% 5.6% 138 16.6
Isles of Scilly 233 3.3% 1.3% 5.0% 676 0.5
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 472 3.1% 2.5% 4.0% 112 17.1
Dorset 571 3.1% 2.6% 3.8% 196 12.0
East Devon 542 3.1% 2.7% 3.4% 200 11.5
Forest of Dean 576 3.1% 2.7% 3.6% 194 11.9
Gloucester 463 3.0% 2.4% 4.5% 149 12.6
Teignbridge 547 3.0% 2.5% 3.7% 147 13.9
Bristol 360 2.8% 2.1% 4.7% 99 15.0
Mid Devon 557 2.8% 2.4% 3.9% 91 22.8
Somerset 555 2.8% 2.4% 3.7% 137 14.6
Cornwall 523 2.7% 2.2% 4.4% 235 7.5
West Devon 561 2.7% 2.4% 3.5% 178 11.7
North Devon 514 2.5% 2.0% 4.2% 208 7.8
Torridge 550 2.4% 2.0% 4.5% 107 15.6
Torbay 467 2.3% 1.8% 4.7% 97 13.6
Plymouth 424 2.1% 1.5% 4.6% 162 6.6

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 84,092 licensed vehicles in Torbay 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 2,555 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 Torbay 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.