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Darlington motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
116,557 licensed vehicles in Darlington
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 60,704 +1.7% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 460 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 2,026 3.3% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.9% 156th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 161 143 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 14.8% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Darlington?

There were 60,704 licensed cars in Darlington at the end of June 2026, and 116,557 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 35.5% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 460 for every 1,000 residents, 122nd lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Darlington

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Darlington at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 55,17844,787
2011 53,68645,014
2012 101,02449,048
2013 102,89449,533
2014 107,52950,540
2015 108,01151,077
2016 106,39951,041
2017 104,41350,970
2018 112,41751,210
2019 110,04950,963
2020 106,26050,949
2021 113,46752,217
2022 119,83759,884
2023 119,09961,631
2024 116,44959,243
2025 113,54659,676
2026 116,55760,704

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, Darlington compared
Year DarlingtonNorth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 426401–
2012 465402–
2013 469405–
2014 478411–
2015 482415473
2016 480420480
2017 478426488
2018 481429490
2019 478435493
2020 477436489
2021 483442493
2022 547439489
2023 556438489
2024 527439490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Darlington

52.8% of cars in Darlington run on petrol and 30.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 44.6% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 11.1%, and cars that plug in 5.2%.

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 Darlington, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 69.8%29.9%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 67.8%31.8%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 60.7%38.9%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 59.2%40.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 57.1%42.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 56.0%43.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2016 55.4%44.0%0.4%0.0%0.1%
2017 55.0%44.1%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2018 54.3%44.6%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2019 54.7%44.0%0.9%0.1%0.2%
2020 55.3%43.2%1.1%0.2%0.2%
2021 55.6%42.0%1.7%0.3%0.3%
2022 57.9%36.1%4.5%0.6%0.5%
2023 57.4%33.9%6.5%1.1%0.7%
2024 56.7%33.7%6.6%1.6%0.8%
2025 55.2%32.5%8.2%2.3%1.2%
2026 52.8%30.3%11.1%3.3%1.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Darlington

2,026 battery electric cars were licensed in Darlington at the end of June 2026, 3.3% of all cars, 112th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,128 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,359.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.9% are battery electric (1,507 cars), 6th highest of 12 councils in the North East. Companies keep 25.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 14.8% of its cars overall. There are also 2,769 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, Darlington compared, end of March each year
Year DarlingtonNorth EastUnited Kingdom
2016 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.3%0.4%0.8%
2022 0.6%0.7%1.5%
2023 1.1%1.1%2.3%
2024 1.6%1.7%3.2%
2025 2.3%2.5%4.4%
2026 3.3%3.6%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Darlington

There were 161 public chargers in Darlington on 1 July 2026, 28 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 143 for every 100,000 residents, 174th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 0.6% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 14.4 privately kept plug-in cars in Darlington (UK 12.9), 143rd 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 Darlington by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 16010
Apr 2026 15510
Jul 2026 16128

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Darlington compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Darlington 14325
North East 15037
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Darlington has 14 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.7%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Darlington with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Darlington 001 8,056 381 4.7% 6.8%
Darlington 015 7,050 292 4.1% 6.1%
Darlington 011 5,883 224 3.8% 5.6%
Darlington 010 3,484 127 3.6% 5.4%
Darlington 002 3,557 79 2.2% 3.3%
Darlington 003 3,156 64 2.0% 3.5%
Darlington 009 4,288 76 1.8% 3.1%
Darlington 013 3,054 43 1.4% 2.2%
Darlington 005 2,855 37 1.3% 2.8%
Darlington 006 4,598 44 1.0% 2.3%
Lowest electric shares
Darlington 016 4,659 26 0.6% 1.4%
Darlington 012 3,166 18 0.6% 1.5%
Darlington 004 2,382 20 0.8% 1.6%
Darlington 014 2,700 23 0.9% 1.6%
Darlington 006 4,598 44 1.0% 2.3%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.

Road traffic and collisions in Darlington

Vehicles travelled an estimated 546 million miles on roads in Darlington in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Darlington
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 424
1994 432
1995 440
1996 456
1997 476
1998 485
1999 496
2000 482
2001 493
2002 508
2003 505
2004 498
2005 499
2006 502
2007 496
2008 488
2009 479
2010 472
2011 478
2012 482
2013 481
2014 494
2015 503
2016 497
2017 499
2018 512
2019 526
2020 424
2021 473
2022 514
2023 526
2024 540
2025 546

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Darlington, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 12238
2022 11442
2023 10735
2024 11942
2025 13746

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Darlington

Unleaded petrol averages 170.8p a litre across 10 filling stations in Darlington, 0.7p below the UK average. Diesel averages 197.6p, 1.1p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Jet Carmel Road Darlington 169.9p
  2. Shell Gem Darlington Darlington 169.9p
  3. MFG Morrisons Darlington North Road Darlington 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Darlington

How Darlington compares

Darlington compared with the North East, England, the UK
Darlington 460 3.3% 2.9% 14.8% 143 14.4
North East 424 3.6% 3.0% 5.8% 150 12.8
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 Darlington

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Darlington, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 47.1% at Darlington.

Other centres in the North East:

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 East

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

Councils in the North East
Northumberland 505 4.1% 3.6% 4.4% 238 11.3
Newcastle upon Tyne 315 4.0% 3.2% 7.1% 122 12.7
North Tyneside 419 4.0% 3.3% 6.3% 62 32.9
Stockton-on-Tees 453 3.8% 3.1% 5.0% 133 16.0
County Durham 453 3.7% 3.1% 5.3% 149 13.9
Gateshead 388 3.5% 2.8% 5.7% 198 8.3
Sunderland 404 3.5% 2.9% 5.1% 192 9.0
Darlington 460 3.3% 2.9% 14.8% 143 14.4
South Tyneside 399 3.3% 2.6% 5.0% 175 9.5
Hartlepool 418 3.1% 2.5% 5.4% 91 18.1
Redcar and Cleveland 469 2.7% 2.2% 4.9% 103 15.6
Middlesbrough 385 2.6% 2.0% 5.7% 91 13.8

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 116,557 licensed vehicles in Darlington 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 6,221 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 Darlington 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.