London, England: number of licensed cars 1995-2020

London was home to some 2.6 million passenger cars in 2020. Between 1995 and 2020, the number of licensed cars in the capital city saw a net increase of 17 percent, although figures have declined in the last two years recorded. Overall, there were some 32.7 million cars in the United Kingdom in 2020. London has the longest metro network in Europe. However, despite efforts to promote public transportation as a way to reduce fossil fuel intensive car driving, the motor vehicle still proved popular.

Pollution fighting schemes

In recent years, the Greater London Authority has increased incentives to stifle car usage in the city center. It introduced the Congestion Charge Zone in 2003, the Low Emission Zone in 2008, and followed up with the Ultra Low Emission Zone in early 2019, which are all intended to reduce traffic pollution and improve air quality. On average, around two million unique vehicles traversed the Congestion Charge Zone every month in 2018.

Car-sharing: a means to reduce car ownership

According to a 2018 survey, members of car-sharing clubs in London are more likely to own no cars of their own after joining. While more than half of those participating in car sharing associations were already car-less before becoming members, the share increased to 73 percent after. Vehicle sales in the UK declined dramatically amid the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.