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Cheshire East motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
287,047 licensed vehicles in Cheshire East
Methodology
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  • Licensed cars 236,906 +0.8% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 532 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 12,271 5.2% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.3% 30th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 520 123 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.4% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Cheshire East?

There were 236,906 licensed cars in Cheshire East at the end of June 2026, and 287,047 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.1% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 532 for every 1,000 residents, 99th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Cheshire East

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Cheshire East at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 236,059198,905
2011 237,482199,957
2012 237,214200,800
2013 239,441202,932
2014 242,936205,878
2015 245,204207,684
2016 248,494210,283
2017 252,919213,317
2018 256,248215,917
2019 261,350219,473
2020 260,101218,868
2021 267,264222,923
2022 271,078225,544
2023 276,150229,210
2024 280,430232,690
2025 283,798234,947
2026 287,047236,906

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, Cheshire East compared
Year Cheshire EastNorth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 539429–
2012 539425–
2013 543428–
2014 547433–
2015 549435473
2016 551438480
2017 555440488
2018 558443490
2019 562448493
2020 557446489
2021 557477493
2022 554472489
2023 553472489
2024 552474490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Cheshire East

55.7% of cars in Cheshire East run on petrol and 27.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 38.2% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.3%, and cars that plug in 8.2%.

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 Cheshire East, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 71.1%28.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 69.2%30.3%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 67.6%31.9%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2013 65.9%33.5%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 64.2%35.1%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2015 62.7%36.5%0.5%0.0%0.1%
2016 61.5%37.5%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 60.7%38.1%0.7%0.1%0.2%
2018 60.3%38.2%0.9%0.2%0.3%
2019 60.5%37.7%1.1%0.2%0.4%
2020 60.5%37.2%1.3%0.3%0.5%
2021 60.3%36.3%1.9%0.6%0.7%
2022 59.7%35.0%2.7%1.2%1.1%
2023 59.3%33.4%3.7%1.8%1.4%
2024 58.5%31.6%5.0%2.5%1.8%
2025 57.4%29.6%6.6%3.7%2.3%
2026 55.7%27.3%8.3%5.2%3.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Cheshire East

12,271 battery electric cars were licensed in Cheshire East at the end of June 2026, 5.2% of all cars, 40th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 19,427 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 8,657.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.3% are battery electric (9,689 cars), the highest of 35 councils in the North West. Companies keep 21.0% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.4% of its cars overall. There are also 323 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, Cheshire East compared, end of March each year
Year Cheshire EastNorth 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%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.6%0.8%0.8%
2022 1.2%1.7%1.5%
2023 1.8%2.9%2.3%
2024 2.5%4.1%3.2%
2025 3.7%5.3%4.4%
2026 5.2%6.6%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Cheshire East

There were 520 public chargers in Cheshire East on 1 July 2026, 189 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 123 for every 100,000 residents, 144th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 16.3% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 28.8 privately kept plug-in cars in Cheshire East (UK 12.9), 48th 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 Cheshire East by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 447171
Apr 2026 462170
Jul 2026 520189

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Cheshire East compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Cheshire East 12345
North West 11240
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Cheshire East has 52 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 6.1%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Cheshire East with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Cheshire East 022 6,680 406 6.1% 9.3%
Cheshire East 042 4,522 276 6.1% 8.3%
Cheshire East 006 4,201 245 5.8% 9.2%
Cheshire East 008 4,520 246 5.4% 8.5%
Cheshire East 023 4,339 234 5.4% 7.7%
Cheshire East 010 4,371 229 5.2% 8.6%
Cheshire East 053 6,318 326 5.2% 7.7%
Cheshire East 005 3,910 194 5.0% 7.8%
Cheshire East 014 3,996 197 4.9% 7.9%
Cheshire East 012 5,795 279 4.8% 8.6%
Lowest electric shares
Cheshire East 039 3,390 37 1.1% 2.2%
Cheshire East 036 4,367 63 1.4% 2.4%
Cheshire East 037 3,186 52 1.6% 2.8%
Cheshire East 045 3,012 56 1.9% 2.7%
Cheshire East 019 3,705 80 2.2% 3.1%

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 Cheshire East

Vehicles travelled an estimated 3,107 million miles on roads in Cheshire East in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Cheshire East
Year Million vehicle miles
2009 2,789
2010 2,719
2011 2,739
2012 2,732
2013 2,741
2014 2,859
2015 2,870
2016 2,867
2017 2,878
2018 2,912
2019 3,002
2020 2,334
2021 2,605
2022 2,894
2023 2,958
2024 2,982
2025 3,107

Source:DfT 2009 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Cheshire East, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 602150
2022 642180
2023 566157
2024 570174
2025 578170

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Cheshire East

Unleaded petrol averages 178.2p a litre across 33 filling stations in Cheshire East, 6.7p above the UK average. Diesel averages 204.1p, 5.4p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Essar West Street Service Station Crewe 169.9p
  2. Sainsbury's Alsager Alsager 170.9p
  3. Texaco Gem Tarporley Tarporley 171.9p

Every filling station and price in Cheshire East

How Cheshire East compares

Cheshire East compared with the North West, England, the UK
Cheshire East 532 5.2% 4.3% 5.4% 123 28.8
North West 430 6.6% 3.1% 11.7% 112 18.9
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 Cheshire East

There are 2 DVSA car practical test centres in Cheshire East, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 51.9% at Macclesfield.

Other centres in the North 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 North West

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

Councils in the North West
Stockport 467 24.6% 3.4% 45.3% 115 21.8
Cheshire West and Chester 510 20.0% 4.0% 34.8% 111 27.4
Halton 460 6.3% 3.4% 9.9% 67 36.3
Bury 432 5.6% 3.2% 18.8% 55 40.3
Cheshire East 532 5.2% 4.3% 5.4% 123 28.8
Salford 332 4.9% 2.8% 15.3% 96 15.9
Warrington 512 4.8% 4.0% 4.9% 160 19.7
Chorley 506 4.7% 4.0% 4.2% 124 24.4
Ribble Valley 546 4.7% 4.2% 3.8% 123 30.3
Trafford 450 4.7% 3.8% 5.2% 189 14.5
West Lancashire 491 4.7% 3.7% 6.5% 76 37.0
Knowsley 383 4.6% 3.7% 8.5% 57 39.4
South Ribble 527 4.4% 3.8% 4.3% 167 17.6
Fylde 533 4.3% 3.6% 4.9% 133 23.0
Wyre 508 4.0% 3.3% 4.8% 136 19.0
Preston 396 3.9% 3.0% 7.2% 79 24.4
St Helens 453 3.8% 3.0% 6.0% 72 29.5
Wirral 455 3.8% 3.1% 5.8% 71 30.3
Manchester 282 3.7% 2.1% 9.9% 128 8.3
Sefton 427 3.7% 3.0% 6.7% 61 34.6
Wigan 457 3.7% 3.1% 4.8% 76 28.7
Bolton 411 3.5% 2.8% 6.3% 55 34.2
Liverpool 304 3.5% 2.5% 9.4% 196 6.7
Rossendale 476 3.5% 2.9% 5.3% 179 13.1
Blackburn with Darwen 394 3.4% 2.6% 6.6% 79 21.7
Rochdale 406 3.4% 2.7% 6.2% 72 26.0
Lancaster 438 3.3% 2.8% 4.2% 135 13.6
Oldham 381 3.1% 2.3% 7.5% 71 21.6
Tameside 414 3.1% 2.4% 5.5% 59 27.9
Hyndburn 421 2.9% 2.1% 6.7% 58 24.9
Blackpool 386 2.8% 2.1% 6.4% 111 11.1
Burnley 393 2.8% 2.2% 6.2% 108 13.0
Westmorland and Furness 516 2.8% 2.4% 4.7% 266 7.9
Cumberland 508 2.6% 2.2% 4.7% 157 11.8
Pendle 425 2.5% 2.0% 6.0% 63 22.5

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 287,047 licensed vehicles in Cheshire East 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 19,890 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 Cheshire East 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.