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Cumberland motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
196,745 licensed vehicles in Cumberland
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 149,460 +1.0% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 508 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 3,886 2.6% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.2% 59th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 439 157 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.7% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Cumberland?

There were 149,460 licensed cars in Cumberland at the end of June 2026, and 196,745 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 14.7% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 508 for every 1,000 residents, 146th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Cumberland

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Cumberland at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 163,971130,361
2011 163,669130,133
2012 163,320129,674
2013 165,200131,338
2014 168,305133,589
2015 169,959134,798
2016 172,186136,011
2017 176,199138,989
2018 176,857139,064
2019 178,198139,489
2020 176,710138,672
2021 182,728141,439
2022 184,259141,862
2023 187,239143,442
2024 191,032146,032
2025 194,072147,951
2026 196,745149,460

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, Cumberland compared
Year CumberlandNorth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 474429–
2012 473425–
2013 479428–
2014 487433–
2015 492435473
2016 496438480
2017 508440488
2018 509443490
2019 511448493
2020 509446489
2021 517477493
2022 515472489
2023 516472489
2024 521474490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Cumberland

50.3% of cars in Cumberland run on petrol and 35.9% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 45.8% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 9.0%, and cars that plug in 4.2%.

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 Cumberland, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 65.8%33.9%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 64.0%35.7%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 61.9%37.8%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 60.1%39.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 58.3%41.3%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 56.6%42.9%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 54.9%44.4%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 53.8%45.4%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2018 53.3%45.7%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2019 53.0%45.8%0.9%0.1%0.1%
2020 52.9%45.6%1.1%0.1%0.1%
2021 52.6%44.9%1.8%0.3%0.3%
2022 52.3%43.8%2.8%0.5%0.4%
2023 51.9%42.5%3.8%0.8%0.5%
2024 51.6%40.8%5.2%1.2%0.7%
2025 51.1%38.5%7.0%1.8%1.1%
2026 50.3%35.9%9.0%2.6%1.6%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Cumberland

3,886 battery electric cars were licensed in Cumberland at the end of June 2026, 2.6% of all cars, 28th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 6,288 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,667.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.2% are battery electric (3,072 cars), 6th lowest of 35 councils in the North West. Companies keep 20.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.7% of its cars overall. There are also 147 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, Cumberland compared, end of March each year
Year CumberlandNorth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.1%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.3%0.8%0.8%
2022 0.5%1.7%1.5%
2023 0.8%2.9%2.3%
2024 1.2%4.1%3.2%
2025 1.8%5.3%4.4%
2026 2.6%6.6%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Cumberland

There were 439 public chargers in Cumberland on 1 July 2026, 132 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 157 for every 100,000 residents, 148th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 1.6% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 11.8 privately kept plug-in cars in Cumberland (UK 12.9), 100th 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 Cumberland by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 432138
Apr 2026 448138
Jul 2026 439132

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Cumberland compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Cumberland 15747
North West 11240
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Cumberland has 33 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.7% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Cumberland with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Carlisle 007 6,952 201 2.9% 4.6%
Allerdale 007 5,868 162 2.8% 4.0%
Allerdale 006 5,926 159 2.7% 4.3%
Carlisle 013 8,096 215 2.7% 4.0%
Allerdale 002 6,081 152 2.5% 4.0%
Carlisle 004 7,704 190 2.5% 4.2%
Copeland 007 6,809 172 2.5% 4.0%
Allerdale 012 3,886 91 2.3% 3.8%
Allerdale 011 5,146 113 2.2% 3.8%
Carlisle 002 4,618 103 2.2% 3.5%
Lowest electric shares
Allerdale 009 4,293 17 0.4% 1.8%
Carlisle 011 4,208 20 0.5% 0.8%
Carlisle 010 4,456 26 0.6% 1.2%
Copeland 008 6,203 43 0.7% 2.5%
Carlisle 012 3,020 21 0.7% 1.2%

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 Cumberland

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,590 million miles on roads in Cumberland in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Cumberland
Year Million vehicle miles
2023 1,545
2024 1,564
2025 1,590

Source:DfT 2023 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Cumberland, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 37292
2022 447156
2023 427130
2024 411114
2025 388115

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Cumberland

Unleaded petrol averages 170.7p a litre across 28 filling stations in Cumberland, 0.8p below the UK average. Diesel averages 198.1p, 0.6p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Shell Exelby Services Golden Fleece Carlisle 167.9p
  2. MFG Morrisons Carlisle Carlisle 168.9p
  3. Sainsbury's Carlisle Carlisle 168.9p

Every filling station and price in Cumberland

How Cumberland compares

Cumberland compared with the North West, England, the UK
Cumberland 508 2.6% 2.2% 4.7% 157 11.8
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 Cumberland

There are 3 DVSA car practical test centres in Cumberland, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 61.9% at Workington.

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 196,745 licensed vehicles in Cumberland 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 6,506 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 Cumberland 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.