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Vale of Glamorgan motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
86,455 licensed vehicles in Vale of Glamorgan
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 72,895 +0.9% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 512 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 2,560 3.5% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.0% 136th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 188 139 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.6% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in the Vale of Glamorgan?

There were 72,895 licensed cars in the Vale of Glamorgan at the end of March 2026, and 86,455 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 17.1% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 512 for every 1,000 residents, 124th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in the Vale of Glamorgan

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in the Vale of Glamorgan at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 71,75762,251
2011 72,08662,633
2012 72,14962,600
2013 72,22562,587
2014 73,30163,507
2015 73,82963,838
2016 75,39164,979
2017 76,93366,067
2018 77,56266,807
2019 79,58868,587
2020 81,05769,875
2021 81,50069,689
2022 83,08870,350
2023 84,09570,886
2024 84,97371,866
2025 85,57172,267
2026 86,45572,895

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, the Vale of Glamorgan compared
Year Vale of GlamorganWalesUnited Kingdom
2011 496470–
2012 496471–
2013 500476–
2014 505482–
2015 510486473
2016 512493480
2017 519500488
2018 523504490
2019 532510493
2020 524504489
2021 532513493
2022 529510489
2023 529510489
2024 532514490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in the Vale of Glamorgan

56.1% of cars in the Vale of Glamorgan run on petrol and 30.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.4% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.6%, and cars that plug in 5.3%.

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 the Vale of Glamorgan, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 74.1%25.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 72.1%27.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 70.0%29.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 67.9%31.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 66.0%33.4%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 63.9%35.4%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 62.2%36.9%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 60.7%38.2%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2018 59.4%39.3%0.9%0.1%0.1%
2019 59.0%39.4%1.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 58.8%39.2%1.3%0.2%0.3%
2021 58.6%38.7%1.7%0.4%0.4%
2022 58.0%38.0%2.4%0.8%0.6%
2023 58.0%36.6%3.2%1.2%0.7%
2024 57.7%34.8%4.5%1.7%1.0%
2025 57.0%32.8%6.0%2.5%1.3%
2026 56.1%30.6%7.6%3.5%1.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in the Vale of Glamorgan

2,560 battery electric cars were licensed in the Vale of Glamorgan at the end of March 2026, 3.5% of all cars, 181st lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,876 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,808.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.0% are battery electric (2,076 cars), 2nd highest of 22 councils in Wales. Companies keep 18.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.6% of its cars overall. There are also 83 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, the Vale of Glamorgan compared, end of March each year
Year Vale of GlamorganWalesUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.0%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.2%0.3%
2021 0.4%0.3%0.7%
2022 0.8%0.6%1.3%
2023 1.2%0.9%2.1%
2024 1.7%1.3%3.0%
2025 2.5%2.0%4.1%
2026 3.5%2.8%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in the Vale of Glamorgan

There were 188 public chargers in the Vale of Glamorgan on 1 July 2026, 50 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 139 for every 100,000 residents, 180th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 4.4% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 16.9 privately kept plug-in cars in the Vale of Glamorgan (UK 11.9), 162nd 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 the Vale of Glamorgan by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 18052
Apr 2026 19550
Jul 2026 18850

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, the Vale of Glamorgan compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Vale of Glamorgan 13937
Wales 18643
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

The Vale of Glamorgan has 15 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.4% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.4%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in the Vale of Glamorgan with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Vale of Glamorgan 002 4,918 215 4.4% 6.7%
Vale of Glamorgan 001 4,640 196 4.2% 6.2%
Vale of Glamorgan 003 5,813 244 4.2% 6.8%
Vale of Glamorgan 008 6,605 242 3.7% 5.8%
Vale of Glamorgan 006 5,192 157 3.0% 4.9%
Vale of Glamorgan 010 3,562 94 2.6% 4.1%
Vale of Glamorgan 014 7,898 206 2.6% 4.2%
Vale of Glamorgan 005 5,456 133 2.4% 4.3%
Vale of Glamorgan 011 5,313 128 2.4% 3.7%
Vale of Glamorgan 015 6,323 150 2.4% 3.4%
Lowest electric shares
Vale of Glamorgan 012 5,024 36 0.7% 1.5%
Vale of Glamorgan 013 4,336 42 1.0% 2.2%
Vale of Glamorgan 007 4,533 64 1.4% 2.2%
Vale of Glamorgan 009 4,580 93 2.0% 2.8%
Vale of Glamorgan 004 4,777 107 2.2% 3.6%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026.

Road traffic and collisions in the Vale of Glamorgan

Vehicles travelled an estimated 692 million miles on roads in the Vale of Glamorgan in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in the Vale of Glamorgan
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 554
1994 566
1995 576
1996 589
1997 598
1998 608
1999 616
2000 614
2001 604
2002 618
2003 621
2004 646
2005 638
2006 634
2007 646
2008 641
2009 623
2010 611
2011 603
2012 614
2013 622
2014 644
2015 661
2016 687
2017 679
2018 690
2019 690
2020 543
2021 608
2022 655
2023 674
2024 682
2025 692

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in the Vale of Glamorgan, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 8821
2022 10322
2023 9525
2024 9027
2025 10224

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Vale of Glamorgan

Unleaded petrol averages 169.4p a litre across 11 filling stations in Vale of Glamorgan, 2.3p below the UK average. Diesel averages 193.9p, 0.7p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Murco Tudor Garage Cowbridge 161.9p
  2. Asda Barry Superstore Barry 166.7p
  3. MFG Morrisons Barry Barry 166.7p

Every filling station and price in Vale of Glamorgan

How the Vale of Glamorgan compares

Vale of Glamorgan compared with Wales, the UK
Vale of Glamorgan 512 3.5% 3.0% 4.6% 139 16.9
Wales 490 2.8% 2.1% 6.2% 186 9.0
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 Wales

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

Councils in Wales
Bridgend 486 4.3% 2.7% 10.1% 146 14.0
Monmouthshire 578 3.7% 3.2% 4.4% 283 10.6
Vale of Glamorgan 512 3.5% 3.0% 4.6% 139 16.9
Swansea 485 3.4% 2.0% 10.1% 154 11.0
Newport 457 3.2% 2.5% 5.5% 303 6.3
Cardiff 383 3.1% 2.4% 6.4% 118 13.1
Denbighshire 504 3.0% 2.1% 6.3% 179 8.9
Flintshire 555 2.9% 2.3% 4.8% 118 16.3
Conwy 514 2.7% 2.0% 5.7% 152 10.6
Torfaen 496 2.6% 1.9% 6.2% 155 9.5
Carmarthenshire 527 2.5% 1.9% 6.1% 216 7.4
Neath Port Talbot 474 2.5% 1.8% 6.8% 73 33.3
Caerphilly 495 2.4% 1.8% 5.7% 108 14.3
Wrexham 502 2.4% 1.8% 4.9% 204 8.6
Ceredigion 511 2.3% 1.9% 4.6% 306 4.8
Pembrokeshire 535 2.3% 1.8% 5.5% 365 4.1
Powys 549 2.3% 1.8% 5.1% 270 5.9
Rhondda Cynon Taf 470 2.3% 1.8% 6.0% 121 11.3
Isle of Anglesey 552 2.2% 1.6% 4.3% 245 5.7
Gwynedd 493 2.0% 1.5% 4.8% 390 3.0
Merthyr Tydfil 451 2.0% 1.5% 6.6% 139 9.0
Blaenau Gwent 499 1.7% 1.3% 5.3% 228 4.5

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 86,455 licensed vehicles in Vale of Glamorgan 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 4,026 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 the Vale of Glamorgan 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.