West Midlands · County
West Midlands (county) motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in the West Midlands metropolitan county, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how the West Midlands metropolitan county compares with the West Midlands. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 1,290,540 +2.0% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 393 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 43,408 3.4% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.3% UK 3.1%
- Public chargers 5,902 194 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 7.5% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in the West Midlands metropolitan county?
There were 1,290,540 licensed cars in the West Midlands metropolitan county at the end of June 2026, and 1,523,658 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 1.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 393 for every 1,000 residents (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in the West Midlands metropolitan county
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,545,766 | 1,266,139 |
| 2011 | 1,668,711 | 1,360,129 |
| 2012 | 1,636,353 | 1,343,918 |
| 2013 | 1,630,823 | 1,347,535 |
| 2014 | 1,616,772 | 1,325,458 |
| 2015 | 1,663,178 | 1,361,866 |
| 2016 | 1,727,225 | 1,407,508 |
| 2017 | 1,790,594 | 1,456,214 |
| 2018 | 1,798,333 | 1,469,634 |
| 2019 | 1,749,138 | 1,438,540 |
| 2020 | 1,740,847 | 1,428,133 |
| 2021 | 1,489,085 | 1,234,794 |
| 2022 | 1,455,446 | 1,210,741 |
| 2023 | 1,473,338 | 1,229,461 |
| 2024 | 1,483,422 | 1,246,999 |
| 2025 | 1,497,041 | 1,264,738 |
| 2026 | 1,523,658 | 1,290,540 |
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 | West Midlands (county) | West Midlands | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 496 | 506 | – |
| 2012 | 487 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 484 | 503 | – |
| 2014 | 473 | 500 | – |
| 2015 | 481 | 506 | 473 |
| 2016 | 491 | 513 | 480 |
| 2017 | 504 | 523 | 488 |
| 2018 | 506 | 524 | 490 |
| 2019 | 493 | 519 | 493 |
| 2020 | 489 | 515 | 489 |
| 2021 | 423 | 485 | 493 |
| 2022 | 410 | 480 | 489 |
| 2023 | 411 | 479 | 489 |
| 2024 | 411 | 476 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in the West Midlands metropolitan county
56.0% of cars in the West Midlands metropolitan county run on petrol and 29.0% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 45.0% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 9.0%, and cars that plug in 5.5%.
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 | 66.1% | 33.3% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 60.8% | 38.5% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 59.3% | 39.9% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 57.9% | 41.2% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 58.1% | 41.0% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 56.2% | 42.6% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2016 | 54.6% | 44.0% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| 2017 | 53.2% | 44.9% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.7% |
| 2018 | 52.6% | 45.0% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 1.0% |
| 2019 | 53.3% | 43.7% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| 2020 | 54.3% | 41.6% | 1.8% | 0.6% | 1.5% |
| 2021 | 59.1% | 37.2% | 2.1% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 59.0% | 36.2% | 2.9% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| 2023 | 58.7% | 34.7% | 3.8% | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| 2024 | 58.4% | 32.9% | 5.4% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| 2025 | 57.4% | 30.9% | 7.1% | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| 2026 | 56.0% | 29.0% | 9.0% | 3.4% | 2.1% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in the West Midlands metropolitan county
43,408 battery electric cars were licensed in the West Midlands metropolitan county at the end of June 2026, 3.4% of all cars. With plug-in hybrids, 70,498 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 31,025.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.3% are battery electric (26,873 cars). Companies keep 38.1% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 7.5% of its cars overall. There are also 11,885 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 | West Midlands (county) | West Midlands | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | 1.0% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | 1.4% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 1.7% | 1.8% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | 2.7% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 3.4% | 3.7% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in the West Midlands metropolitan county
There were 5,902 public chargers in the West Midlands metropolitan county on 1 July 2026, 1,111 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 194 for every 100,000 residents, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 3.0% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 7.8 privately kept plug-in cars in the West Midlands metropolitan county (UK 12.9). 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 | 5,730 | 1,020 |
| Apr 2026 | 5,831 | 1,085 |
| Jul 2026 | 5,902 | 1,111 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands (county) | 194 | 37 |
| West Midlands | 164 | 46 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in West Midlands (county)
Unleaded petrol averages 171.3p a litre across 213 filling stations in West Midlands (county), 0.2p below the UK average. Diesel averages 198.7p, the same as the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Costco Wholesale Birmingham Birmingham 160.9p
- Witton Road Birmingham 163.6p
- Jet Bordseley Service Station Ltd Birmingham 163.9p
How the West Midlands metropolitan county compares
| West Midlands (county) | 393 | 3.4% | 194 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 459 | 3.7% | 164 |
| 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 the West Midlands metropolitan county
There are 10 DVSA car practical test centres in the West Midlands metropolitan county, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 56.6% at Birmingham (Shirley).
- Birmingham (Shirley) 56.6% pass rate, 2025/26
- Birmingham (Cocks Moors) 53.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Birmingham (Kingstanding) 48.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Birmingham (Kings Heath) 46.8% pass rate, 2025/26
- Dudley 45.2% pass rate, 2025/26
- Birmingham (Garretts Green) 44.4% pass rate, 2025/26
- Birmingham (South Yardley) 42.8% pass rate, 2025/26
- Coventry 40.0% pass rate, 2025/26
- Wednesbury 35.0% pass rate, 2025/26
- Wolverhampton 34.3% 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 the West Midlands metropolitan county
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Solihull | 497 | 7.8% | 278 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley | 472 | 3.3% | 104 |
| Walsall | 420 | 3.0% | 66 |
| Wolverhampton | 403 | 3.0% | 69 |
| Birmingham | 347 | 2.8% | 135 |
| Coventry | 387 | 2.7% | 717 |
| Sandwell | 383 | 2.6% | 88 |
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 | 1,523,658 licensed vehicles in West Midlands (county) | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 83,235 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 |
- Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in the West Midlands metropolitan county 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.
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.