25 Future Driving Statistics and Facts for 2025

Licensed Vehicles and Drivers

Total Licensed Vehicles: As of 2023, there were 289,393 licensed taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) in England, marking a 33% increase over the past decade. PHV licensing grew significantly, while traditional taxi licensing saw a decline (Source: NimbleFins).
Driver Licenses: There were 346,300 licensed drivers in England in 2023, with 67% holding PHV-only licenses, 11% taxi-only licenses, and 21% dual licenses allowing them to drive both taxis and PHVs (Source: gov.uk).
Growth in Licenses: The number of driver licenses increased by 4.9% from 2022 to 2023, with significant regional variations, ideal for starting a taxi business. The West Midlands saw a 28% increase, primarily due to a large rise in Wolverhampton (Source: gov.uk).
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles: In 2023, 13% of all licensed vehicles in England were wheelchair accessible. London leads in accessibility, with all taxis being wheelchair accessible, as mandated by Transport for London (TfL) (Source: gov.uk).

Regional Variations of Taxi Statistics

London: There were 104,695 licensed taxis and PHVs in London in 2023, an 80% increase over the past decade. However, traditional taxi licenses have declined, reflecting the rise in ride-sharing services like Uber (Source: NimbleFins).

Wolverhampton: This area had the highest number of licensed vehicles per 1,000 people, with 49.5, largely due to the growth of PHV licenses (Source: gov.uk) Learn more: Self Driving Statistics: How many crashes?

Trends and Changes

Shift Towards PHVs: Over the past decade, the number of licensed PHVs has increased by over 90,000, driven by the popularity of ride-sharing apps. In contrast, the number of licensed taxis has decreased by nearly 20,000 (Source: NimbleFins).
Vehicle Density: In 2023, there were on average 5.1 licensed taxi and PHV vehicles per 1,000 people in England. London had a higher density with 11.9 vehicles per 1,000 people, compared to rural areas where the density was much lower (Source: gov.uk).
Licensing Authority Limits: Licensing authorities outside of London are able to impose limits on the number of taxis licensed to operate within their area. However, they are unable to impose such limits on PHVs. In 2023, 72 licensing authorities (25% of those with licensed taxis) applied a limit on the number of licensed taxis (Source).

Impact of Ride-Sharing Apps: The increase in licensed PHVs is largely attributed to the rise of ride-sharing companies like Uber and Bolt, which have driven a 64% growth in PHV licensing over the past decade (Source).

Market Size and Growth

The global self-driving car market size was valued at USD 121.82 billion in 2023 and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35.4% during the forecast period, reaching USD 2,354.12 billion by 2030. (Source: LinkedIn)
By the end of 2025, there will be 8 million autonomous vehicles on the road. (Source: Strategic Market Research)
In 2025, around 63% of global vehicle sales are expected to be Level 2 or higher autonomous vehicles. (Source: Statista)

Consumer Attitudes and Preferences

40% of drivers expressed support for the availability of self-driving cars for purchase. (Source: Adobe)
1 in 3 drivers stated that a built-in voice assistant influences their car-buying decision. (Source: Adobe)
Millennials and Gen Z expressed the most positive attitudes toward self-driving and connected cars and features. (Source: Adobe)
26% of consumers now view autonomous delivery technologies more favourably than before the coronavirus crisis. (Source: CES)
Nearly half of respondents are comfortable riding in autonomous trains, and relatively comfortable using autonomous cars, but only 16% would use an autonomous boat. (Source: Statista)

Safety and Concerns

41% of drivers have disabled safety features such as lane-keeping assistance and reversing cameras or sensors. (Source: Brake)
82% of drivers consider the safety rating important when purchasing a new vehicle. (Source: Brake)
Worldwide, 61% of customers were concerned about safety issues from machine error in autonomous cars, and 51% were worried about safety issues from human error. (Source: Statista)

Technology and Impact

Over 1,400 driverless vehicles are currently undergoing testing. (Source: Salvi Law)
Tesla’s autopilot feature has logged more than 3 billion miles. (Source: Salvi Law)
Lyft and Aptiv placed more than 100,000 commercial Robo-taxis into service in Las Vegas. (Source: Salvi Law)
Autonomous vehicles are expected to increase fuel efficiency by 10% to 20% and could reduce traffic emissions by up to 90%. (Source: Coolest-Gadgets)