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Croydon motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
155,222 licensed vehicles in Croydon
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 137,614 +0.9% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 318 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 5,867 4.3% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.6% 93rd highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 627 153 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.5% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Croydon?

There were 137,614 licensed cars in Croydon at the end of June 2026, and 155,222 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 5.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 318 for every 1,000 residents, 32nd lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Croydon

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Croydon at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 148,561130,823
2011 148,811131,216
2012 148,276131,213
2013 150,347132,623
2014 153,354135,310
2015 155,502137,296
2016 158,601139,776
2017 160,184141,116
2018 160,101141,209
2019 160,233141,338
2020 157,868139,537
2021 159,060140,121
2022 157,034138,167
2023 155,014136,491
2024 153,884136,055
2025 153,894136,382
2026 155,222137,614

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, Croydon compared
Year CroydonLondonUnited Kingdom
2011 360313–
2012 355307–
2013 354303–
2014 358303–
2015 360303473
2016 364304480
2017 366306488
2018 365303490
2019 362301493
2020 356296489
2021 359300493
2022 351295489
2023 339290489
2024 332287490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Croydon

67.4% of cars in Croydon run on petrol and 12.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 27.8% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 12.3%, and cars that plug in 7.5%.

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 Croydon, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 83.5%15.9%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2011 81.8%17.6%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2012 80.2%19.0%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2013 78.3%20.6%0.8%0.0%0.0%
2014 76.1%22.6%1.1%0.0%0.0%
2015 73.9%24.5%1.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 71.7%26.2%1.8%0.1%0.1%
2017 70.0%27.4%2.2%0.1%0.1%
2018 68.9%27.8%2.8%0.1%0.3%
2019 68.7%27.2%3.3%0.2%0.4%
2020 68.7%26.4%3.9%0.3%0.6%
2021 68.8%25.1%4.6%0.6%0.8%
2022 69.2%22.8%5.6%1.1%1.2%
2023 71.0%18.5%7.0%1.7%1.6%
2024 71.6%14.6%8.8%2.6%2.1%
2025 69.7%13.4%10.5%3.5%2.5%
2026 67.4%12.5%12.3%4.3%3.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Croydon

5,867 battery electric cars were licensed in Croydon at the end of June 2026, 4.3% of all cars, 118th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 10,347 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 4,760.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.6% are battery electric (4,644 cars), 14th lowest of 33 councils in London. Companies keep 20.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.5% of its cars overall. There are also 243 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, Croydon compared, end of March each year
Year CroydonLondonUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.3%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.5%0.4%
2021 0.6%1.1%0.8%
2022 1.1%2.0%1.5%
2023 1.7%3.2%2.3%
2024 2.6%4.5%3.2%
2025 3.5%5.7%4.4%
2026 4.3%7.0%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Croydon

There were 627 public chargers in Croydon on 1 July 2026, 140 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 153 for every 100,000 residents, 156th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 2.8% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 13.9 privately kept plug-in cars in Croydon (UK 12.9), 136th fewest 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 Croydon by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 610123
Apr 2026 629136
Jul 2026 627140

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Croydon compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Croydon 15334
London 34528
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Croydon has 45 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.1% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 5.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Croydon with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Croydon 038 4,460 263 5.9% 10.5%
Croydon 023 2,301 127 5.5% 8.9%
Croydon 035 4,441 238 5.4% 8.9%
Croydon 037 4,558 226 5.0% 8.0%
Croydon 043 4,685 224 4.8% 8.0%
Croydon 042 3,787 179 4.7% 8.2%
Croydon 002 3,747 171 4.6% 8.3%
Croydon 041 4,453 185 4.2% 7.0%
Croydon 033 3,962 161 4.1% 7.3%
Croydon 026 4,045 160 4.0% 7.3%
Lowest electric shares
Croydon 030 2,557 48 1.9% 4.0%
Croydon 032 3,125 63 2.0% 4.3%
Croydon 036 2,340 49 2.1% 4.3%
Croydon 019 2,475 53 2.1% 6.3%
Croydon 017 2,897 61 2.1% 4.1%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 3 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Croydon

Vehicles travelled an estimated 851 million miles on roads in Croydon in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Croydon
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 821
1994 832
1995 827
1996 832
1997 834
1998 841
1999 855
2000 850
2001 863
2002 869
2003 879
2004 863
2005 859
2006 869
2007 882
2008 854
2009 842
2010 820
2011 819
2012 813
2013 817
2014 828
2015 827
2016 849
2017 838
2018 828
2019 844
2020 706
2021 799
2022 819
2023 830
2024 844
2025 851

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Croydon, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 965159
2022 922166
2023 1,103151
2024 933153
2025 937150

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Croydon

Unleaded petrol averages 170.6p a litre across 25 filling stations in Croydon, 0.9p below the UK average. Diesel averages 199.3p, 0.6p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Esso MFG Coulsdon Coulsden 167.9p
  2. Esso MFG Foxley Purley 167.9p
  3. Esso MFG Hayling Down Purley 167.9p

Every filling station and price in Croydon

How Croydon compares

Croydon compared with London, England, the UK
Croydon 318 4.3% 3.6% 5.5% 153 13.9
London 264 7.0% 3.9% 9.8% 345 5.8
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 Croydon

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in Croydon. The nearest centres are elsewhere in London.

Centres in London:

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 London

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

Councils in London
Westminster 179 57.9% 7.7% 60.4% 1,378 1.8
City of London 79 24.6% 7.8% 50.4% 443 2.4
Hammersmith and Fulham 199 18.7% 5.2% 22.4% 1,380 1.5
Camden 159 9.7% 7.6% 12.6% 378 5.4
Kensington and Chelsea 239 7.4% 6.7% 8.5% 637 4.7
Brent 232 7.3% 4.0% 12.8% 367 5.1
Barnet 322 6.6% 5.4% 7.2% 288 10.1
Islington 132 6.0% 4.7% 11.6% 386 3.1
Richmond upon Thames 359 5.6% 4.7% 5.6% 642 5.0
Harrow 337 5.5% 4.3% 6.2% 120 22.8
Hillingdon 364 5.4% 3.4% 16.7% 121 20.1
Kingston upon Thames 354 5.2% 4.5% 3.9% 242 11.8
Merton 294 5.2% 4.4% 5.7% 436 5.6
Southwark 162 5.2% 4.3% 8.1% 618 2.1
Wandsworth 214 5.2% 4.4% 5.1% 532 3.6
Tower Hamlets 128 5.0% 3.8% 11.0% 776 1.7
Ealing 274 4.7% 3.6% 7.5% 264 7.6
Redbridge 302 4.7% 3.8% 7.2% 198 11.9
Hackney 138 4.6% 3.4% 10.4% 638 1.6
Haringey 214 4.6% 3.7% 8.9% 135 11.1
Bromley 409 4.5% 3.8% 4.4% 67 42.1
Lambeth 176 4.5% 3.8% 6.6% 244 5.4
Barking and Dagenham 264 4.4% 3.1% 8.6% 100 18.5
Croydon 318 4.3% 3.6% 5.5% 153 13.9
Hounslow 301 4.2% 3.2% 6.8% 233 8.9
Sutton 378 4.2% 3.6% 4.2% 118 20.5
Greenwich 239 4.1% 3.5% 6.3% 101 15.5
Havering 388 3.8% 2.9% 6.1% 95 24.0
Newham 168 3.8% 3.0% 9.3% 159 8.5
Enfield 334 3.6% 2.8% 6.9% 137 14.0
Lewisham 233 3.6% 3.1% 5.6% 133 10.5
Waltham Forest 251 3.6% 2.8% 7.6% 663 2.2
Bexley 382 3.5% 3.0% 6.3% 269 7.9

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 155,222 licensed vehicles in Croydon 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 10,842 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 Croydon 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.