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 44,852 +0.5% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 397 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 1,727 3.9% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.9% 156th highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 603 563 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 5.2% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in Watford?
There were 44,852 licensed cars in Watford at the end of March 2026, and 50,964 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 8.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 397 for every 1,000 residents, 74th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Watford
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 47,423 | 41,440 |
| 2011 | 48,516 | 42,591 |
| 2012 | 50,716 | 44,644 |
| 2013 | 53,500 | 47,372 |
| 2014 | 56,968 | 50,737 |
| 2015 | 61,063 | 54,558 |
| 2016 | 65,330 | 58,906 |
| 2017 | 68,528 | 62,079 |
| 2018 | 68,403 | 61,978 |
| 2019 | 67,439 | 61,196 |
| 2020 | 67,003 | 60,815 |
| 2021 | 67,011 | 60,736 |
| 2022 | 50,008 | 43,843 |
| 2023 | 49,922 | 43,807 |
| 2024 | 50,126 | 44,175 |
| 2025 | 50,671 | 44,634 |
| 2026 | 50,964 | 44,852 |
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 | 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
61.6% of cars in Watford run on petrol and 20.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 37.0% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 11.1%, and cars that plug in 6.8%.
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 | 77.0% | 22.5% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 75.4% | 23.9% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 72.4% | 26.8% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 69.8% | 29.3% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 67.5% | 31.5% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 64.6% | 33.8% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2016 | 61.7% | 36.1% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| 2017 | 60.0% | 37.0% | 1.6% | 0.3% | 1.0% |
| 2018 | 60.5% | 35.7% | 2.2% | 0.4% | 1.1% |
| 2019 | 61.6% | 32.8% | 3.5% | 0.7% | 1.4% |
| 2020 | 62.4% | 29.6% | 4.4% | 1.8% | 1.6% |
| 2021 | 59.4% | 26.2% | 5.1% | 6.5% | 2.6% |
| 2022 | 63.4% | 29.2% | 4.9% | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| 2023 | 63.8% | 26.8% | 6.1% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| 2024 | 63.9% | 23.9% | 7.8% | 2.3% | 1.8% |
| 2025 | 63.1% | 21.8% | 9.5% | 3.0% | 2.3% |
| 2026 | 61.6% | 20.1% | 11.1% | 3.9% | 2.9% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Watford
1,727 battery electric cars were licensed in Watford at the end of March 2026, 3.9% of all cars, 126th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,040 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,343.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.9% are battery electric (1,218 cars), 18th highest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 29.5% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.2% 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% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 6.5% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | 1.7% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 2.3% | 2.6% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 3.0% | 3.8% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 3.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 3.2 privately kept plug-in cars in Watford (UK 11.9), 13th 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, 2.5% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.3%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watford 008 | 4,013 | 173 | 4.3% | |
| Watford 007 | 4,148 | 173 | 4.2% | |
| Watford 012 | 3,527 | 112 | 3.2% | |
| Watford 002 | 4,176 | 126 | 3.0% | |
| Watford 005 | 3,186 | 96 | 3.0% | |
| Watford 004 | 4,223 | 114 | 2.7% | |
| Watford 001 | 3,953 | 91 | 2.3% | |
| Watford 003 | 4,357 | 102 | 2.3% | |
| Watford 011 | 4,433 | 88 | 2.0% | |
| Watford 010 | 3,288 | 52 | 1.6% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Watford 009 | 3,575 | 52 | 1.5% | |
| Watford 006 | 3,500 | 51 | 1.5% | |
| Watford 010 | 3,288 | 52 | 1.6% | |
| Watford 011 | 4,433 | 88 | 2.0% | |
| Watford 003 | 4,357 | 102 | 2.3% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 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 166.6p a litre across 7 filling stations in Watford, 5.1p below the UK average. Diesel averages 187.0p, 7.6p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Asda Watford Supercentre Watford 161.7p
- Sainsbury's Dome Roundabout Watford 162.9p
- Tesco Watford Extra Watford 163.9p
How Watford compares
| Watford | 397 | 3.9% | 563 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hertfordshire | 485 | 4.3% | 208 |
| East of England | 497 | 5.2% | 150 |
| 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 Hertfordshire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Hertsmere | 467 | 5.4% | 229 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Albans | 500 | 5.4% | 111 |
| Three Rivers | 511 | 4.8% | 161 |
| North Hertfordshire | 512 | 4.4% | 117 |
| East Hertfordshire | 526 | 4.1% | 135 |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 455 | 4.1% | 350 |
| Dacorum | 505 | 3.9% | 159 |
| Watford | 397 | 3.9% | 563 |
| Broxbourne | 484 | 3.1% | 153 |
| Stevenage | 449 | 2.8% | 194 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 50,964 licensed vehicles in Watford | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 3,122 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 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.