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Wiltshire motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
512,882 licensed vehicles in Wiltshire
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 384,631 +6.5% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 556 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 34,151 8.9% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.2% 159th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 615 117 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 24.3% UK 10.0%

Company fleets. The number of cars registered in Wiltshire changed by +6.5% in a year. DVLA counts company cars at the company’s registered address, so leasing and rental fleets land where those firms are based and move when they move. The figures for privately kept cars are the better guide to local drivers.

How many cars are there in Wiltshire?

There were 384,631 licensed cars in Wiltshire at the end of June 2026, and 512,882 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 53.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 556 for every 1,000 residents, 45th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Wiltshire

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Wiltshire at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 310,734251,109
2011 316,921253,213
2012 321,344255,202
2013 330,656259,818
2014 337,830265,347
2015 343,737269,045
2016 351,787274,817
2017 359,950281,459
2018 363,012284,621
2019 369,570288,371
2020 367,192287,875
2021 450,801340,533
2022 456,852340,024
2023 461,080342,781
2024 470,300350,003
2025 485,064361,224
2026 512,882384,631

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.

Cars per 1,000 residents at mid-year, Wiltshire compared
Year WiltshireSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 534524–
2012 535527–
2013 542533–
2014 548541–
2015 551546473
2016 558550480
2017 566565488
2018 571569490
2019 573580493
2020 568573489
2021 664575493
2022 659571489
2023 660570489
2024 668571490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Wiltshire

50.5% of cars in Wiltshire run on petrol and 25.7% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 41.2% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.7%, and cars that plug in 12.7%.

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.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Wiltshire, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 69.0%30.7%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 67.1%32.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 65.4%34.2%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 63.5%36.0%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 61.8%37.6%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 60.2%39.1%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 58.9%40.4%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 58.0%41.0%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2018 57.7%41.2%0.7%0.2%0.2%
2019 57.8%40.8%0.8%0.2%0.3%
2020 57.9%40.3%1.0%0.4%0.3%
2021 54.9%39.7%1.9%1.6%1.7%
2022 54.2%37.5%2.5%3.2%2.3%
2023 53.6%34.9%3.2%5.3%2.7%
2024 53.3%32.0%4.5%6.4%3.4%
2025 52.2%29.1%7.0%7.6%3.8%
2026 50.5%25.7%10.7%8.9%3.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Wiltshire

34,151 battery electric cars were licensed in Wiltshire at the end of June 2026, 8.9% of all cars, 15th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 48,854 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 27,567.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.2% are battery electric (9,281 cars), 9th highest of 27 councils in the South West. Companies keep 72.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 24.3% of its cars overall. There are also 7,174 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, Wiltshire compared, end of March each year
Year WiltshireSouth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.4%0.4%0.4%
2021 1.6%1.2%0.8%
2022 3.2%2.3%1.5%
2023 5.3%3.5%2.3%
2024 6.4%4.4%3.2%
2025 7.6%5.4%4.4%
2026 8.9%5.2%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Wiltshire

There were 615 public chargers in Wiltshire on 1 July 2026, 249 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 117 for every 100,000 residents, 128th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 0.7% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 23.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Wiltshire (UK 12.9), 101st 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 Wiltshire by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 611238
Apr 2026 713230
Jul 2026 615249

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Wiltshire compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Wiltshire 11748
South West 15750
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Wiltshire has 64 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.1%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Wiltshire with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Wiltshire 008 6,137 249 4.1% 6.0%
Wiltshire 023 4,542 187 4.1% 6.0%
Wiltshire 004 5,701 216 3.8% 5.8%
Wiltshire 009 5,912 222 3.8% 5.3%
Wiltshire 001 5,572 204 3.7% 5.3%
Wiltshire 003 6,013 225 3.7% 5.9%
Wiltshire 013 7,057 254 3.6% 5.7%
Wiltshire 027 6,061 216 3.6% 5.4%
Wiltshire 002 5,460 191 3.5% 5.1%
Wiltshire 018 9,172 318 3.5% 5.2%
Lowest electric shares
Wiltshire 036 3,348 29 0.9% 2.0%
Wiltshire 031 3,562 35 1.0% 1.8%
Wiltshire 055 3,521 50 1.4% 2.1%
Wiltshire 066 4,020 63 1.6% 3.1%
Wiltshire 045 5,711 91 1.6% 3.2%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 1 neighbourhood is left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Wiltshire

Vehicles travelled an estimated 3,850 million miles on roads in Wiltshire in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Wiltshire
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 2,735
1994 2,812
1995 2,874
1996 2,963
1997 3,035
1998 3,113
1999 3,095
2000 3,081
2001 3,158
2002 3,251
2003 3,326
2004 3,329
2005 3,412
2006 3,491
2007 3,558
2008 3,512
2009 3,470
2010 3,462
2011 3,472
2012 3,474
2013 3,489
2014 3,637
2015 3,708
2016 3,818
2017 3,870
2018 3,863
2019 3,941
2020 3,050
2021 3,397
2022 3,611
2023 3,724
2024 3,742
2025 3,850

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Wiltshire, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 845188
2022 955234
2023 948227
2024 880225
2025 1,027306

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Wiltshire

Unleaded petrol averages 172.3p a litre across 62 filling stations in Wiltshire, 0.8p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.7p, 1.0p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Shell Burbage Service Station Marlborough 166.7p
  2. Valero MFG Melksham Melksham 166.9p
  3. Sainsbury's Melksham Melksham 166.9p

Every filling station and price in Wiltshire

How Wiltshire compares

Wiltshire compared with the South West, England, the UK
Wiltshire 556 8.9% 3.2% 24.3% 117 23.3
South West 509 5.2% 2.9% 9.6% 157 14.4
England 440 6.2% 3.2% 10.7% 173 13.4
United Kingdom4445.8%3.1%10.0%17512.9

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 June 2026.

Driving test centres in Wiltshire

There are 3 DVSA car practical test centres in Wiltshire, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 56.4% at Chippenham.

Other centres in the South West:

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 South West

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

Councils in the South West
South Gloucestershire 523 18.8% 3.4% 37.0% 162 17.1
Wiltshire 556 8.9% 3.2% 24.3% 117 23.3
Exeter 357 5.2% 2.8% 33.8% 259 5.6
Stroud 589 4.6% 4.1% 3.3% 199 17.4
Tewkesbury 567 4.5% 3.9% 3.7% 157 21.2
North Somerset 549 4.3% 3.6% 4.4% 107 28.3
Bath and North East Somerset 450 4.2% 3.7% 3.5% 90 28.8
Cotswold 606 4.2% 3.7% 3.7% 310 12.0
Cheltenham 466 3.9% 3.4% 3.5% 272 9.0
South Hams 572 3.9% 3.3% 3.7% 145 19.0
Swindon 471 3.8% 3.0% 5.3% 138 16.4
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 475 3.4% 2.8% 4.0% 112 18.3
Dorset 576 3.4% 2.9% 3.8% 196 12.8
East Devon 546 3.4% 3.0% 3.5% 200 12.7
Forest of Dean 581 3.4% 3.0% 3.6% 194 13.1
Gloucester 465 3.3% 2.6% 4.6% 149 12.7
Teignbridge 551 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 147 15.6
Isles of Scilly 238 3.2% 1.2% 5.1% 676 0.6
Mid Devon 562 3.1% 2.7% 3.9% 91 24.9
Somerset 560 3.1% 2.7% 3.7% 137 16.8
West Devon 564 3.1% 2.7% 3.5% 178 13.0
Bristol 362 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 99 13.7
Cornwall 528 3.0% 2.5% 4.4% 235 8.1
North Devon 518 2.7% 2.2% 4.2% 208 9.1
Torbay 469 2.6% 2.0% 4.7% 97 15.4
Torridge 555 2.6% 2.2% 4.5% 107 17.7
Plymouth 426 2.2% 1.7% 4.6% 162 7.3

Data stories to read next

All insights

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 512,882 licensed vehicles in Wiltshire 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 56,683 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 Wiltshire 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.