East of England · District council
Watford motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Watford, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Watford compares with the East of England. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 45,043 +0.4% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 398 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 1,811 4.0% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.0% 174th lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 603 563 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 5.4% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in Watford?
There were 45,043 licensed cars in Watford at the end of June 2026, and 51,200 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 7.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 398 for every 1,000 residents, 73rd lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in Watford
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 47,774 | 41,726 |
| 2011 | 49,246 | 43,158 |
| 2012 | 51,483 | 45,318 |
| 2013 | 54,581 | 48,344 |
| 2014 | 58,421 | 51,935 |
| 2015 | 61,846 | 55,581 |
| 2016 | 66,082 | 59,558 |
| 2017 | 68,981 | 62,422 |
| 2018 | 68,264 | 61,765 |
| 2019 | 67,058 | 60,768 |
| 2020 | 66,258 | 60,086 |
| 2021 | 67,062 | 60,614 |
| 2022 | 50,180 | 43,936 |
| 2023 | 50,009 | 43,927 |
| 2024 | 50,514 | 44,432 |
| 2025 | 51,039 | 44,847 |
| 2026 | 51,200 | 45,043 |
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.
| Year | Watford | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 476 | 503 | – |
| 2012 | 487 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 505 | 505 | – |
| 2014 | 529 | 524 | – |
| 2015 | 559 | 529 | 473 |
| 2016 | 593 | 537 | 480 |
| 2017 | 618 | 544 | 488 |
| 2018 | 608 | 542 | 490 |
| 2019 | 595 | 541 | 493 |
| 2020 | 587 | 536 | 489 |
| 2021 | 591 | 539 | 493 |
| 2022 | 426 | 532 | 489 |
| 2023 | 417 | 529 | 489 |
| 2024 | 415 | 531 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Watford
61.2% of cars in Watford run on petrol and 19.7% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 36.8% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 11.6%, and cars that plug in 7.2%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 76.8% | 22.7% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 74.9% | 24.4% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 71.9% | 27.3% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 69.4% | 29.7% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 67.0% | 31.9% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 63.8% | 34.4% | 1.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| 2016 | 61.2% | 36.4% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| 2017 | 60.1% | 36.8% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 1.0% |
| 2018 | 60.8% | 35.1% | 2.3% | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| 2019 | 62.2% | 31.9% | 3.6% | 0.7% | 1.4% |
| 2020 | 62.1% | 29.1% | 4.6% | 2.4% | 1.7% |
| 2021 | 58.3% | 25.3% | 5.2% | 7.9% | 3.1% |
| 2022 | 63.5% | 28.6% | 5.2% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| 2023 | 63.9% | 26.1% | 6.5% | 1.8% | 1.5% |
| 2024 | 63.8% | 23.3% | 8.3% | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| 2025 | 62.8% | 21.4% | 9.8% | 3.2% | 2.4% |
| 2026 | 61.2% | 19.7% | 11.6% | 4.0% | 3.1% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Watford
1,811 battery electric cars were licensed in Watford at the end of June 2026, 4.0% of all cars, 158th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,226 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,454.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.0% are battery electric (1,284 cars), 21st highest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 29.1% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.4% of its cars overall. There are also 41 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 | Watford | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 7.9% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.8% | 1.9% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 3.2% | 4.1% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 4.0% | 5.6% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Watford
There were 603 public chargers in Watford on 1 July 2026, 78 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 563 for every 100,000 residents, 12th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 13.4% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 4.0 privately kept plug-in cars in Watford (UK 12.9), 16th fewest 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 | 696 | 74 |
| Apr 2026 | 721 | 78 |
| Jul 2026 | 603 | 78 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Watford | 563 | 73 |
| Hertfordshire | 208 | 57 |
| East of England | 150 | 49 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Watford has 12 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.7% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.5%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watford 008 | 4,017 | 181 | 4.5% | |
| Watford 007 | 4,217 | 179 | 4.2% | |
| Watford 012 | 3,539 | 117 | 3.3% | |
| Watford 002 | 4,211 | 129 | 3.1% | |
| Watford 005 | 3,184 | 99 | 3.1% | |
| Watford 004 | 4,239 | 115 | 2.7% | |
| Watford 001 | 3,935 | 103 | 2.6% | |
| Watford 003 | 4,347 | 113 | 2.6% | |
| Watford 011 | 4,468 | 97 | 2.2% | |
| Watford 010 | 3,298 | 56 | 1.7% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Watford 009 | 3,583 | 52 | 1.5% | |
| Watford 006 | 3,494 | 52 | 1.5% | |
| Watford 010 | 3,298 | 56 | 1.7% | |
| Watford 011 | 4,468 | 97 | 2.2% | |
| Watford 003 | 4,347 | 113 | 2.6% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in Watford
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 117 | 23 |
| 2022 | 104 | 21 |
| 2023 | 160 | 35 |
| 2024 | 127 | 18 |
| 2025 | 150 | 29 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Watford
Unleaded petrol averages 170.2p a litre across 4 filling stations in Watford, 1.3p below the UK average. Diesel averages 190.9p, 7.8p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Esso Rontec Watford Watford 168.9p
- BP EG Watford Watford 169.9p
- Shell Little Waitrose Sceptre Watford 169.9p
How Watford compares
| Watford | 398 | 4.0% | 563 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hertfordshire | 488 | 4.6% | 208 |
| East of England | 501 | 5.6% | 150 |
| England | 440 | 6.2% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 444 | 5.8% | 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 June 2026.
Driving test centres in Watford
There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Watford, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 46.2% at Watford.
Other centres in Hertfordshire:
- Letchworth 57.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Stevenage 55.3% pass rate, 2025/26
- Bishops Stortford 51.3% pass rate, 2025/26
- Borehamwood (London) 50.8% pass rate, 2025/26
- St Albans 50.7% pass rate, 2025/26
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 Hertfordshire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| St Albans | 503 | 5.8% | 111 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hertsmere | 469 | 5.7% | 229 |
| Three Rivers | 513 | 5.1% | 161 |
| North Hertfordshire | 515 | 4.7% | 117 |
| East Hertfordshire | 529 | 4.4% | 135 |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 458 | 4.4% | 350 |
| Dacorum | 508 | 4.2% | 159 |
| Watford | 398 | 4.0% | 563 |
| Broxbourne | 486 | 3.4% | 153 |
| Stevenage | 450 | 3.1% | 194 |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 51,200 licensed vehicles in Watford | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 3,308 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 Watford 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.