North West · District council
Chorley motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Chorley, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Chorley compares with the North West. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 63,384 +1.0% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 503 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 2,704 4.3% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.6% 51st highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 150 124 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 4.1% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in Chorley?
There were 63,384 licensed cars in Chorley at the end of March 2026, and 78,361 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 503 for every 1,000 residents, 149th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Chorley
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63,502 | 53,138 |
| 2011 | 64,106 | 53,636 |
| 2012 | 64,460 | 54,067 |
| 2013 | 65,119 | 54,568 |
| 2014 | 66,428 | 55,663 |
| 2015 | 67,917 | 56,813 |
| 2016 | 69,516 | 57,755 |
| 2017 | 70,927 | 58,828 |
| 2018 | 71,936 | 59,602 |
| 2019 | 73,342 | 60,729 |
| 2020 | 74,552 | 61,807 |
| 2021 | 74,625 | 61,491 |
| 2022 | 75,283 | 61,623 |
| 2023 | 75,945 | 62,148 |
| 2024 | 76,781 | 62,692 |
| 2025 | 77,340 | 62,755 |
| 2026 | 78,361 | 63,384 |
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 | Chorley | North West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 500 | 429 | – |
| 2012 | 498 | 425 | – |
| 2013 | 501 | 428 | – |
| 2014 | 506 | 433 | – |
| 2015 | 509 | 435 | 473 |
| 2016 | 510 | 438 | 480 |
| 2017 | 515 | 440 | 488 |
| 2018 | 520 | 443 | 490 |
| 2019 | 524 | 448 | 493 |
| 2020 | 524 | 446 | 489 |
| 2021 | 525 | 477 | 493 |
| 2022 | 521 | 472 | 489 |
| 2023 | 521 | 472 | 489 |
| 2024 | 520 | 474 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Chorley
54.4% of cars in Chorley run on petrol and 31.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 41.8% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.7%, and cars that plug in 6.2%.
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 | 70.5% | 29.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 68.6% | 31.1% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 66.8% | 32.8% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 64.8% | 34.8% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 62.9% | 36.6% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 61.1% | 38.2% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 59.3% | 39.9% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 57.9% | 41.1% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 57.1% | 41.8% | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 57.1% | 41.5% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 56.9% | 41.5% | 1.1% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 56.8% | 40.9% | 1.3% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| 2022 | 56.6% | 39.8% | 2.0% | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| 2023 | 56.3% | 38.3% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 0.7% |
| 2024 | 56.1% | 36.5% | 4.1% | 2.1% | 0.9% |
| 2025 | 55.4% | 34.0% | 5.8% | 2.9% | 1.4% |
| 2026 | 54.4% | 31.3% | 7.7% | 4.3% | 1.9% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Chorley
2,704 battery electric cars were licensed in Chorley at the end of March 2026, 4.3% of all cars, 80th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,915 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,843.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.6% are battery electric (2,191 cars), 3rd highest of 35 councils in the North West. Companies keep 19.0% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.1% of its cars overall. There are also 57 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 | Chorley | North West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | 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 | 0.9% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 2.9% | 5.4% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 4.3% | 6.2% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Chorley
There were 150 public chargers in Chorley on 1 July 2026, 109 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 124 for every 100,000 residents, 146th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 9.5% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 24.4 privately kept plug-in cars in Chorley (UK 11.9), 72nd 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 | 137 | 94 |
| Apr 2026 | 134 | 93 |
| Jul 2026 | 150 | 109 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Chorley | 124 | 90 |
| Lancashire | 113 | 46 |
| North West | 112 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Chorley has 14 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.0% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 5.0%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chorley 008 | 6,134 | 304 | 5.0% | |
| Chorley 003 | 6,481 | 282 | 4.4% | |
| Chorley 004 | 5,791 | 250 | 4.3% | |
| Chorley 005 | 5,822 | 187 | 3.2% | |
| Chorley 012 | 4,793 | 148 | 3.1% | |
| Chorley 002 | 4,609 | 140 | 3.0% | |
| Chorley 011 | 5,525 | 164 | 3.0% | |
| Chorley 007 | 4,401 | 127 | 2.9% | |
| Chorley 013 | 4,858 | 139 | 2.9% | |
| Chorley 014 | 6,240 | 173 | 2.8% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Chorley 006 | 4,463 | 68 | 1.5% | |
| Chorley 009 | 3,502 | 65 | 1.9% | |
| Chorley 001 | 2,526 | 56 | 2.2% | |
| Chorley 010 | 4,877 | 119 | 2.4% | |
| Chorley 014 | 6,240 | 173 | 2.8% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in Chorley
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 205 | 63 |
| 2022 | 199 | 62 |
| 2023 | 178 | 64 |
| 2024 | 220 | 59 |
| 2025 | 189 | 61 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Chorley
Unleaded petrol averages 176.6p a litre across 16 filling stations in Chorley, 4.9p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.3p, 4.7p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Asda Chorley Superstore Chorley 168.7p
- Tesco Chorley Buckshaw Superstore Chorley 168.9p
- Tesco Chorley Extra Chorley 168.9p
How Chorley compares
| Chorley | 503 | 4.3% | 124 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 465 | 3.6% | 113 |
| North West | 427 | 6.2% | 112 |
| 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 Lancashire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Chorley | 503 | 4.3% | 124 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ribble Valley | 543 | 4.3% | 123 |
| West Lancashire | 488 | 4.3% | 76 |
| South Ribble | 524 | 4.0% | 167 |
| Fylde | 530 | 3.9% | 133 |
| Preston | 393 | 3.6% | 79 |
| Wyre | 504 | 3.6% | 136 |
| Rossendale | 474 | 3.1% | 179 |
| Lancaster | 436 | 3.0% | 135 |
| Hyndburn | 418 | 2.7% | 58 |
| Burnley | 389 | 2.6% | 108 |
| Pendle | 420 | 2.4% | 63 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 78,361 licensed vehicles in Chorley | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 4,005 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 Chorley 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.