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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
283,821 licensed vehicles in Cheshire East
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 235,259 +0.6% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 529 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 11,139 4.7% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.9% 31st highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 520 123 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.4% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Cheshire East?

There were 235,259 licensed cars in Cheshire East at the end of March 2026, and 283,821 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.1% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 529 for every 1,000 residents, 97th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).

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 233,495197,560
2011 235,576199,198
2012 235,656199,755
2013 236,501200,929
2014 239,747204,032
2015 242,819206,465
2016 247,009209,629
2017 250,464212,182
2018 253,298214,221
2019 258,654218,042
2020 262,299221,426
2021 262,782220,536
2022 268,228223,863
2023 272,648227,246
2024 277,225230,908
2025 281,013233,748
2026 283,821235,259

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.

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

56.1% of cars in Cheshire East run on petrol and 28.0% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 38.4% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.9%, and cars that plug in 7.5%.

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.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Cheshire East, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 71.5%28.1%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 69.6%29.9%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 67.8%31.7%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 66.2%33.2%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 64.5%34.9%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 62.9%36.3%0.5%0.0%0.1%
2016 61.6%37.5%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 60.7%38.2%0.7%0.1%0.2%
2018 60.2%38.4%0.9%0.2%0.3%
2019 60.3%37.9%1.1%0.2%0.4%
2020 60.4%37.4%1.3%0.3%0.5%
2021 60.3%36.7%1.7%0.5%0.7%
2022 59.6%35.5%2.5%1.1%1.1%
2023 59.4%33.8%3.4%1.6%1.4%
2024 58.6%32.2%4.7%2.3%1.8%
2025 57.5%30.2%6.3%3.4%2.2%
2026 56.1%28.0%7.9%4.7%2.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Cheshire East

11,139 battery electric cars were licensed in Cheshire East at the end of March 2026, 4.7% of all cars, 49th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 17,745 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 7,929.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.9% are battery electric (8,678 cars), the highest of 35 councils in the North West. Companies keep 22.1% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.4% of its cars overall. There are also 284 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%0.3%
2021 0.5%0.7%0.7%
2022 1.1%1.5%1.3%
2023 1.6%2.6%2.1%
2024 2.3%3.8%3.0%
2025 3.4%5.4%4.1%
2026 4.7%6.2%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 29.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Cheshire East (UK 11.9), 42nd 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, 3.3% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 5.5%. 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 006 4,208 230 5.5% 8.8%
Cheshire East 022 6,518 358 5.5% 8.4%
Cheshire East 042 4,517 244 5.4% 7.3%
Cheshire East 008 4,474 222 5.0% 7.8%
Cheshire East 010 4,344 217 5.0% 8.3%
Cheshire East 023 4,302 205 4.8% 6.9%
Cheshire East 005 3,899 179 4.6% 7.3%
Cheshire East 012 5,742 263 4.6% 8.4%
Cheshire East 053 6,223 284 4.6% 7.0%
Cheshire East 014 3,973 180 4.5% 7.2%
Lowest electric shares
Cheshire East 039 3,339 33 1.0% 2.0%
Cheshire East 036 4,324 48 1.1% 2.0%
Cheshire East 037 3,158 47 1.5% 2.5%
Cheshire East 045 2,995 52 1.7% 2.6%
Cheshire East 019 3,648 70 1.9% 2.8%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 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 177.0p a litre across 44 filling stations in Cheshire East, 5.3p above the UK average. Diesel averages 198.4p, 3.8p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Tesco Crewe Extra Crewe 165.9p
  2. MFG Morrisons Crewe Crewe 165.9p
  3. MFG Morrisons Nantwich Nantwich 167.9p

Every filling station and price in Cheshire East

How Cheshire East compares

Cheshire East compared with the North West, England, the UK
Cheshire East 529 4.7% 3.9% 5.4% 123 29.3
North West 427 6.2% 2.7% 11.8% 112 17.4
England 437 5.8% 2.9% 10.6% 173 12.4
United Kingdom4415.4%2.8%9.9%17511.9

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 March 2026.

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 466 27.0% 3.0% 50.2% 115 19.7
Cheshire West and Chester 506 16.0% 3.5% 28.9% 111 26.8
Halton 458 5.8% 3.0% 9.8% 67 32.5
Bury 429 4.9% 2.8% 18.8% 55 36.8
Cheshire East 529 4.7% 3.9% 5.4% 123 29.3
Salford 330 4.6% 2.4% 16.1% 96 14.7
Chorley 503 4.3% 3.6% 4.1% 124 24.4
Ribble Valley 543 4.3% 3.8% 3.8% 123 27.3
Trafford 448 4.3% 3.5% 5.1% 189 13.7
Warrington 510 4.3% 3.6% 4.9% 160 18.7
West Lancashire 488 4.3% 3.3% 6.5% 76 18.2
Knowsley 380 4.1% 3.2% 8.5% 57 35.7
South Ribble 524 4.0% 3.3% 4.3% 167 15.7
Fylde 530 3.9% 3.3% 4.8% 133 21.9
Preston 393 3.6% 2.7% 7.2% 79 20.2
Wyre 504 3.6% 3.0% 4.9% 136 16.9
Manchester 279 3.5% 1.9% 9.8% 128 8.1
St Helens 452 3.5% 2.6% 6.0% 72 26.1
Wirral 453 3.4% 2.8% 5.9% 71 29.9
Liverpool 302 3.3% 2.2% 9.5% 196 6.4
Sefton 425 3.3% 2.7% 6.8% 61 33.9
Wigan 455 3.3% 2.7% 4.8% 76 26.2
Bolton 408 3.2% 2.4% 6.4% 55 31.3
Blackburn with Darwen 391 3.1% 2.3% 6.6% 79 23.7
Rochdale 403 3.1% 2.4% 6.3% 72 22.0
Rossendale 474 3.1% 2.5% 5.3% 179 11.3
Lancaster 436 3.0% 2.5% 4.2% 135 12.4
Oldham 378 2.8% 2.1% 7.4% 71 19.5
Tameside 412 2.8% 2.1% 5.5% 59 25.0
Hyndburn 418 2.7% 1.9% 6.7% 58 24.0
Blackpool 384 2.6% 1.8% 6.6% 111 9.8
Burnley 389 2.6% 1.9% 6.1% 108 11.6
Westmorland and Furness 512 2.6% 2.2% 4.7% 266 6.9
Pendle 420 2.4% 1.7% 6.0% 63 20.2
Cumberland 504 2.3% 1.9% 4.7% 157 10.1

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 283,821 licensed vehicles in Cheshire East 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 18,160 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 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.