South East · District council
Vale of White Horse motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in the Vale of White Horse, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how the Vale of White Horse compares with the South East. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 83,046 +2.1% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 539 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 4,048 4.9% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 4.4% 15th highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 289 194 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 3.1% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in the Vale of White Horse?
There were 83,046 licensed cars in the Vale of White Horse at the end of March 2026, and 100,782 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 28.6% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 539 for every 1,000 residents, 75th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in the Vale of White Horse
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 77,477 | 64,565 |
| 2011 | 78,287 | 65,529 |
| 2012 | 79,626 | 66,528 |
| 2013 | 80,276 | 67,353 |
| 2014 | 81,589 | 68,455 |
| 2015 | 83,935 | 69,742 |
| 2016 | 85,761 | 71,199 |
| 2017 | 86,548 | 72,760 |
| 2018 | 87,854 | 73,780 |
| 2019 | 89,900 | 75,187 |
| 2020 | 91,801 | 76,433 |
| 2021 | 93,107 | 76,875 |
| 2022 | 94,381 | 78,092 |
| 2023 | 95,828 | 78,924 |
| 2024 | 97,812 | 80,445 |
| 2025 | 98,899 | 81,318 |
| 2026 | 100,782 | 83,046 |
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.
| Year | Vale of White Horse | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 541 | 534 | – |
| 2012 | 545 | 535 | – |
| 2013 | 553 | 541 | – |
| 2014 | 554 | 547 | – |
| 2015 | 556 | 551 | 473 |
| 2016 | 557 | 559 | 480 |
| 2017 | 561 | 567 | 488 |
| 2018 | 560 | 570 | 490 |
| 2019 | 561 | 572 | 493 |
| 2020 | 553 | 561 | 489 |
| 2021 | 559 | 564 | 493 |
| 2022 | 552 | 565 | 489 |
| 2023 | 546 | 567 | 489 |
| 2024 | 542 | 570 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in the Vale of White Horse
56.5% of cars in the Vale of White Horse run on petrol and 29.0% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 38.4% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.8%, and cars that plug in 7.3%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72.1% | 27.4% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 70.1% | 29.4% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 68.0% | 31.5% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 66.1% | 33.3% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 64.4% | 34.9% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 62.7% | 36.5% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 61.3% | 37.8% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 60.6% | 38.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 60.2% | 38.4% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2019 | 60.3% | 37.9% | 1.1% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2020 | 60.2% | 37.5% | 1.3% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 60.0% | 36.9% | 1.6% | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| 2022 | 59.5% | 35.9% | 2.2% | 1.3% | 0.9% |
| 2023 | 58.9% | 34.7% | 2.9% | 2.0% | 1.2% |
| 2024 | 58.4% | 33.2% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 1.5% |
| 2025 | 57.6% | 31.1% | 5.3% | 3.7% | 1.9% |
| 2026 | 56.5% | 29.0% | 6.8% | 4.9% | 2.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in the Vale of White Horse
4,048 battery electric cars were licensed in the Vale of White Horse at the end of March 2026, 4.9% of all cars, 39th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 6,035 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,977.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.4% are battery electric (3,537 cars), 3rd highest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 12.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.1% of its cars overall. There are also 155 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.
| Year | Vale of White Horse | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | 3.0% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 2.6% | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 3.7% | 5.7% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 4.9% | 8.7% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in the Vale of White Horse
There were 289 public chargers in the Vale of White Horse on 1 July 2026, 64 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 194 for every 100,000 residents, 100th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 8.3% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 17.8 privately kept plug-in cars in the Vale of White Horse (UK 11.9), 148th most of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.
Public chargers
| Date | All public chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 315 | 58 |
| Apr 2026 | 301 | 57 |
| Jul 2026 | 289 | 64 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Vale of White Horse | 194 | 43 |
| Oxfordshire | 175 | 42 |
| South East | 159 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
The Vale of White Horse has 14 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.9% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 5.4%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vale of White Horse 001 | 4,740 | 255 | 5.4% | |
| Vale of White Horse 010 | 7,309 | 343 | 4.7% | |
| Vale of White Horse 002 | 5,327 | 245 | 4.6% | |
| Vale of White Horse 007 | 7,348 | 336 | 4.6% | |
| Vale of White Horse 015 | 9,490 | 436 | 4.6% | |
| Vale of White Horse 003 | 8,302 | 370 | 4.5% | |
| Vale of White Horse 005 | 3,361 | 136 | 4.0% | |
| Vale of White Horse 004 | 5,216 | 198 | 3.8% | |
| Vale of White Horse 016 | 10,523 | 383 | 3.6% | |
| Vale of White Horse 014 | 6,834 | 232 | 3.4% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Vale of White Horse 008 | 4,197 | 104 | 2.5% | |
| Vale of White Horse 006 | 5,425 | 156 | 2.9% | |
| Vale of White Horse 011 | 7,102 | 211 | 3.0% | |
| Vale of White Horse 009 | 7,073 | 227 | 3.2% | |
| Vale of White Horse 014 | 6,834 | 232 | 3.4% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in the Vale of White Horse
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 160 | 49 |
| 2022 | 162 | 58 |
| 2023 | 151 | 38 |
| 2024 | 135 | 39 |
| 2025 | 147 | 43 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Vale of White Horse
Unleaded petrol averages 170.5p a litre across 14 filling stations in Vale of White Horse, 1.2p below the UK average. Diesel averages 192.9p, 1.7p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Tesco Abingdon Extra Abingdon 163.9p
- Murco Sutton Courtenay Abingdon 163.9p
- Jet Bellingers Service Station Wantage 164.9p
How the Vale of White Horse compares
| Vale of White Horse | 539 | 4.9% | 194 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxfordshire | 483 | 4.6% | 175 |
| South East | 496 | 8.7% | 159 |
| England | 437 | 5.8% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 441 | 5.4% | 175 |
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 Oxfordshire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Cherwell | 512 | 5.2% | 204 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vale of White Horse | 539 | 4.9% | 194 |
| South Oxfordshire | 559 | 4.6% | 121 |
| Oxford | 280 | 3.9% | 167 |
| West Oxfordshire | 549 | 3.9% | 195 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 100,782 licensed vehicles in Vale of White Horse | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 6,270 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 White Horse 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.
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.