East of England · District council
Breckland motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Breckland, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Breckland compares with the East of England. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 84,671 +1.4% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 553 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 2,597 3.1% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.4% 122nd lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 167 114 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 4.3% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in Breckland?
There were 84,671 licensed cars in Breckland at the end of March 2026, and 110,869 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 23.5% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 553 for every 1,000 residents, 44th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Breckland
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87,328 | 68,558 |
| 2011 | 88,097 | 69,169 |
| 2012 | 89,439 | 70,436 |
| 2013 | 89,910 | 70,988 |
| 2014 | 91,488 | 72,263 |
| 2015 | 93,352 | 73,790 |
| 2016 | 96,527 | 76,000 |
| 2017 | 98,919 | 77,704 |
| 2018 | 100,921 | 78,307 |
| 2019 | 102,564 | 79,205 |
| 2020 | 103,128 | 80,054 |
| 2021 | 102,856 | 79,212 |
| 2022 | 105,266 | 80,586 |
| 2023 | 106,182 | 81,162 |
| 2024 | 107,624 | 82,106 |
| 2025 | 109,297 | 83,522 |
| 2026 | 110,869 | 84,671 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Licensed vehicles by type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 | Breckland | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 534 | 503 | – |
| 2012 | 539 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 540 | 505 | – |
| 2014 | 546 | 524 | – |
| 2015 | 548 | 529 | 473 |
| 2016 | 558 | 537 | 480 |
| 2017 | 566 | 544 | 488 |
| 2018 | 568 | 542 | 490 |
| 2019 | 573 | 541 | 493 |
| 2020 | 565 | 536 | 489 |
| 2021 | 567 | 539 | 493 |
| 2022 | 567 | 532 | 489 |
| 2023 | 565 | 529 | 489 |
| 2024 | 566 | 531 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Breckland
48.8% of cars in Breckland run on petrol and 40.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 45.4% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.0%, and cars that plug in 4.5%.
Cars by fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 | 68.7% | 31.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 66.2% | 33.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 63.9% | 35.7% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 61.8% | 37.7% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 59.6% | 39.9% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 57.6% | 41.9% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 55.8% | 43.6% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 54.7% | 44.5% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 53.7% | 45.3% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 54.0% | 44.8% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 53.6% | 45.0% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 52.7% | 45.4% | 1.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2022 | 51.9% | 45.1% | 1.7% | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| 2023 | 51.4% | 44.4% | 2.4% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| 2024 | 50.3% | 43.6% | 3.5% | 1.4% | 0.7% |
| 2025 | 49.6% | 42.1% | 4.8% | 2.0% | 1.1% |
| 2026 | 48.8% | 40.3% | 6.0% | 3.1% | 1.5% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Breckland
2,597 battery electric cars were licensed in Breckland at the end of March 2026, 3.1% of all cars, 128th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,840 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,683.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.4% are battery electric (1,937 cars), 19th lowest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 25.4% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.3% of its cars overall. There are also 67 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 | Breckland | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | 1.7% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | 2.6% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 2.0% | 3.8% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 3.1% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Breckland
There were 167 public chargers in Breckland on 1 July 2026, 62 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 114 for every 100,000 residents, 118th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 1.8% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 18.4 privately kept plug-in cars in Breckland (UK 11.9), 138th most of 361 councils. 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 | 164 | 60 |
| Apr 2026 | 164 | 58 |
| Jul 2026 | 167 | 62 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Breckland | 114 | 42 |
| Norfolk | 162 | 41 |
| East of England | 150 | 49 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Breckland has 17 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.0% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breckland 013 | 5,084 | 146 | 2.9% | |
| Breckland 006 | 5,854 | 160 | 2.7% | |
| Breckland 010 | 7,736 | 187 | 2.4% | |
| Breckland 007 | 5,818 | 133 | 2.3% | |
| Breckland 014 | 5,643 | 130 | 2.3% | |
| Breckland 001 | 5,912 | 129 | 2.2% | |
| Breckland 003 | 4,662 | 96 | 2.1% | |
| Breckland 002 | 7,371 | 144 | 2.0% | |
| Breckland 004 | 5,076 | 102 | 2.0% | |
| Breckland 009 | 5,776 | 113 | 2.0% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Breckland 015 | 2,631 | 19 | 0.7% | |
| Breckland 017 | 4,329 | 42 | 1.0% | |
| Breckland 016 | 6,083 | 104 | 1.7% | |
| Breckland 012 | 5,859 | 101 | 1.7% | |
| Breckland 005 | 6,974 | 119 | 1.7% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in Breckland
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 235 | 75 |
| 2022 | 220 | 72 |
| 2023 | 196 | 58 |
| 2024 | 263 | 86 |
| 2025 | 297 | 93 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Breckland
Unleaded petrol averages 175.5p a litre across 25 filling stations in Breckland, 3.8p above the UK average. Diesel averages 197.9p, 3.3p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Tesco Dereham Extra Dereham 169.9p
- BP Karan Nun's Bridge Service Station England 169.9p
- MFG Morrisons East Dereham Dereham 169.9p
How Breckland compares
| Breckland | 553 | 3.1% | 114 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 518 | 3.0% | 162 |
| East of England | 497 | 5.2% | 150 |
| England | 437 | 5.8% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 441 | 5.4% | 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 March 2026.
Councils in Norfolk
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| South Norfolk | 568 | 3.6% | 131 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadland | 571 | 3.3% | 116 |
| Breckland | 553 | 3.1% | 114 |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 535 | 2.9% | 172 |
| Norwich | 350 | 2.7% | 196 |
| North Norfolk | 569 | 2.6% | 225 |
| Great Yarmouth | 470 | 2.3% | 211 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 110,869 licensed vehicles in Breckland | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 3,974 plug-in vehicles | 15 September 2026 |
| Public chargers | Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport | 1 July 2026 | 121,171 public chargers (UK) | 15 September 2026 |
| Population | Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics | Mid-2024 | 404 areas | 15 September 2026 |
| Neighbourhoods | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales | 15 September 2026 |
- Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Breckland 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.
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.