Record number of vehicles on UK roads – Automotive Blog

The number of vehicles on our roads reached a record 41.4 million in 2023, according to the latest SMMT figures.

The new Motorparc data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders revealed that car ownership was up 1.6{aa25fa8b82bb550df44f4514fef8e475020994699e2c082d49d75b275e3029cc} to 35,694,845.

There were also record numbers of commercial vehicles, with 625,873 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and 5,012,632 vans in operation, up by 1.7{aa25fa8b82bb550df44f4514fef8e475020994699e2c082d49d75b275e3029cc} and 2.6{aa25fa8b82bb550df44f4514fef8e475020994699e2c082d49d75b275e3029cc} respectively.

Despite the rise, average car CO2 dropped 2.1{aa25fa8b82bb550df44f4514fef8e475020994699e2c082d49d75b275e3029cc}. In fact, one in 40 of all vehicles on UK roads is now zero emission, including 960,896 cars, 61,161 vans, 2,383 HGVs and 1,922 buses.

Almost half a million new battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles were registered during 2023.

BEV van volumes rose by 43.5{aa25fa8b82bb550df44f4514fef8e475020994699e2c082d49d75b275e3029cc} on 2022 to 61,161, meaning 1.2{aa25fa8b82bb550df44f4514fef8e475020994699e2c082d49d75b275e3029cc} of vans on UK roads is now zero emission, while electric HGVs rose 146.4{aa25fa8b82bb550df44f4514fef8e475020994699e2c082d49d75b275e3029cc} in 2023.

Elsewhere in the SMMT data, the five most popular cars on UK roads in 2023 were the Ford Fiesta (1,487,925), Vauxhall Corsa (1,050,579), Ford Focus (1,049,818), Volkswagen Golf (1,004,152) and Vauxhall Astra (715,647 ).

Continuing their domination, superminis remain the most popular car type on roads, with one in three drivers choosing these more compact vehicles to get around.

And despite the fact that the UK is the fifth rainiest country in Europe, convertibles account for almost one in 35 cars on the road, with 1,022,849 in use.