East of England · District council
Colchester motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Colchester, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Colchester compares with the East of England. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 99,405 +1.1% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 474 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 3,626 3.6% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.9% 156th lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 181 90 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 4.6% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in Colchester?
There were 99,405 licensed cars in Colchester at the end of June 2026, and 119,668 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 22.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 474 for every 1,000 residents, 152nd lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in Colchester
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 96,298 | 80,909 |
| 2011 | 96,801 | 81,330 |
| 2012 | 97,560 | 81,969 |
| 2013 | 99,480 | 83,672 |
| 2014 | 102,171 | 85,842 |
| 2015 | 103,912 | 87,303 |
| 2016 | 106,028 | 89,012 |
| 2017 | 108,273 | 90,764 |
| 2018 | 109,620 | 91,987 |
| 2019 | 111,606 | 93,475 |
| 2020 | 110,644 | 92,761 |
| 2021 | 113,592 | 94,532 |
| 2022 | 114,193 | 94,787 |
| 2023 | 115,506 | 95,870 |
| 2024 | 117,555 | 97,353 |
| 2025 | 118,260 | 98,294 |
| 2026 | 119,668 | 99,405 |
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.
| Year | Colchester | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 469 | 503 | – |
| 2012 | 466 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 472 | 505 | – |
| 2014 | 476 | 524 | – |
| 2015 | 476 | 529 | 473 |
| 2016 | 480 | 537 | 480 |
| 2017 | 485 | 544 | 488 |
| 2018 | 486 | 542 | 490 |
| 2019 | 491 | 541 | 493 |
| 2020 | 483 | 536 | 489 |
| 2021 | 491 | 539 | 493 |
| 2022 | 487 | 532 | 489 |
| 2023 | 483 | 529 | 489 |
| 2024 | 486 | 531 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Colchester
56.8% of cars in Colchester run on petrol and 28.7% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 35.8% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.5%, and cars that plug in 5.7%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.6% | 25.1% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 72.8% | 26.8% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 71.1% | 28.5% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 69.6% | 30.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 67.8% | 31.7% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 66.3% | 33.1% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 64.9% | 34.5% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 64.1% | 35.0% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 63.4% | 35.5% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 62.8% | 35.8% | 1.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 62.5% | 35.7% | 1.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 61.8% | 35.4% | 1.8% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2022 | 60.8% | 34.9% | 2.5% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| 2023 | 60.1% | 34.0% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 0.9% |
| 2024 | 59.2% | 32.5% | 4.9% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| 2025 | 58.2% | 30.7% | 6.7% | 2.6% | 1.6% |
| 2026 | 56.8% | 28.7% | 8.5% | 3.6% | 2.0% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Colchester
3,626 battery electric cars were licensed in Colchester at the end of June 2026, 3.6% of all cars, 153rd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,653 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,562.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.9% are battery electric (2,721 cars), 22nd highest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 25.0% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.6% of its cars overall. There are also 122 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 | Colchester | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | 1.9% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 1.8% | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.6% | 4.1% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 3.6% | 5.6% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Colchester
There were 181 public chargers in Colchester on 1 July 2026, 73 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 90 for every 100,000 residents, 74th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 14.6% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 24.5 privately kept plug-in cars in Colchester (UK 12.9), 91st 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 | 158 | 71 |
| Apr 2026 | 180 | 71 |
| Jul 2026 | 181 | 73 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Colchester | 90 | 37 |
| Essex | 90 | 45 |
| East of England | 150 | 49 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Colchester has 21 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.7% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.0%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester 023 | 4,869 | 193 | 4.0% | |
| Colchester 009 | 3,474 | 126 | 3.6% | |
| Colchester 003 | 4,986 | 159 | 3.2% | |
| Colchester 010 | 7,081 | 229 | 3.2% | |
| Colchester 019 | 6,720 | 218 | 3.2% | |
| Colchester 014 | 4,522 | 142 | 3.1% | |
| Colchester 013 | 4,109 | 125 | 3.0% | |
| Colchester 020 | 5,868 | 167 | 2.8% | |
| Colchester 001 | 5,320 | 145 | 2.7% | |
| Colchester 012 | 5,755 | 157 | 2.7% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Colchester 011 | 5,118 | 47 | 0.9% | |
| Colchester 018 | 5,477 | 71 | 1.3% | |
| Colchester 015 | 4,837 | 74 | 1.5% | |
| Colchester 007 | 4,679 | 81 | 1.7% | |
| Colchester 022 | 7,907 | 163 | 2.1% | |
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 Colchester
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 319 | 69 |
| 2022 | 334 | 79 |
| 2023 | 303 | 69 |
| 2024 | 322 | 82 |
| 2025 | 321 | 90 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Colchester
Unleaded petrol averages 173.3p a litre across 19 filling stations in Colchester, 1.8p above the UK average. Diesel averages 198.8p, 0.1p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Texaco Asda Colchester Express Petrol Colchester 169.9p
- BP Rangers Service Station Colchester 169.9p
- Esso MFG Stanway Stanway Colchester 169.9p
How Colchester compares
| Colchester | 474 | 3.6% | 90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | 511 | 3.7% | 90 |
| East of England | 501 | 5.6% | 150 |
| England | 440 | 6.2% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 444 | 5.8% | 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 June 2026.
Driving test centres in Colchester
There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Colchester, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 50.6% at Colchester.
Other centres in Essex:
- Chelmsford 55.4% pass rate, 2025/26
- Basildon 49.1% pass rate, 2025/26
- Brentwood (London) 48.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Clacton-on-Sea 48.2% pass rate, 2025/26
- Loughton (London) 47.0% pass rate, 2025/26
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 Essex
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Uttlesford | 593 | 4.8% | 164 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epping Forest | 499 | 4.4% | 126 |
| Brentwood | 501 | 4.2% | 97 |
| Chelmsford | 504 | 4.0% | 105 |
| Basildon | 461 | 3.9% | 62 |
| Colchester | 474 | 3.6% | 90 |
| Maldon | 605 | 3.5% | 61 |
| Rochford | 554 | 3.3% | 76 |
| Braintree | 537 | 3.2% | 89 |
| Harlow | 444 | 3.2% | 74 |
| Tendring | 513 | 2.8% | 84 |
| Castle Point | 534 | 2.7% | 42 |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 119,668 licensed vehicles in Colchester | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 5,850 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 Colchester 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.