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Derby motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
138,035 licensed vehicles in Derby
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 118,937 −2.4% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 410 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 4,222 3.5% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.8% 140th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 329 120 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.5% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Derby?

There were 118,937 licensed cars in Derby at the end of June 2026, and 138,035 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 5.8% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 410 for every 1,000 residents, 80th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Derby

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Derby at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 137,157112,443
2011 136,067110,953
2012 130,471109,215
2013 132,562110,891
2014 129,257109,799
2015 130,644111,095
2016 134,069114,115
2017 138,082117,945
2018 139,411118,810
2019 142,334120,784
2020 140,701118,992
2021 140,073117,482
2022 139,663116,549
2023 140,068116,956
2024 142,375118,913
2025 145,601121,920
2026 138,035118,937

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, Derby compared
Year DerbyEast MidlandsUnited Kingdom
2011 446482–
2012 434480–
2013 437485–
2014 430490–
2015 432493473
2016 439496480
2017 452503488
2018 453504490
2019 459509493
2020 454501489
2021 450508493
2022 441505489
2023 433505489
2024 434506490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Derby

52.3% of cars in Derby run on petrol and 33.2% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 41.4% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.8%, and cars that plug in 5.4%.

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 Derby, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 69.7%29.8%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2011 67.6%31.8%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2012 66.2%33.1%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2013 63.9%35.5%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2014 63.2%36.1%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2015 60.6%38.5%0.6%0.0%0.1%
2016 58.6%40.3%0.7%0.1%0.2%
2017 57.5%41.0%0.9%0.1%0.3%
2018 56.6%41.4%1.2%0.1%0.6%
2019 56.5%40.9%1.5%0.2%0.8%
2020 55.8%40.7%2.1%0.4%1.0%
2021 55.3%40.1%2.6%0.7%1.2%
2022 54.6%39.4%3.3%1.1%1.4%
2023 53.9%38.5%3.9%1.7%1.7%
2024 53.2%36.7%5.2%2.5%2.1%
2025 52.0%34.4%6.8%3.7%2.8%
2026 52.3%33.2%8.8%3.5%1.9%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Derby

4,222 battery electric cars were licensed in Derby at the end of June 2026, 3.5% of all cars, 142nd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 6,450 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 4,564.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.8% are battery electric (3,119 cars), 7th lowest of 35 councils in the East Midlands. Companies keep 26.1% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.5% of its cars overall. There are also 167 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, Derby compared, end of March each year
Year DerbyEast MidlandsUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.4%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.7%0.5%0.8%
2022 1.1%0.9%1.5%
2023 1.7%1.4%2.3%
2024 2.5%2.0%3.2%
2025 3.7%3.0%4.4%
2026 3.5%4.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Derby

There were 329 public chargers in Derby on 1 July 2026, 157 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 120 for every 100,000 residents, 136th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 1.5% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 15.2 privately kept plug-in cars in Derby (UK 12.9), 153rd 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 Derby by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 324148
Apr 2026 322150
Jul 2026 329157

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Derby compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Derby 12057
East Midlands 12247
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Derby has 31 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.3% 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 Derby with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Derby 001 3,893 183 4.7% 7.0%
Derby 021 5,223 221 4.2% 7.5%
Derby 015 5,829 240 4.1% 6.3%
Derby 002 4,457 172 3.9% 5.6%
Derby 031 4,309 166 3.9% 5.7%
Derby 005 3,620 138 3.8% 6.2%
Derby 003 6,548 236 3.6% 5.8%
Derby 019 4,347 151 3.5% 5.5%
Derby 017 3,993 137 3.4% 5.6%
Derby 030 4,761 142 3.0% 4.6%
Lowest electric shares
Derby 016 3,286 7 0.2% 1.2%
Derby 020 2,942 19 0.6% 1.3%
Derby 018 3,718 22 0.6% 1.5%
Derby 023 3,222 23 0.7% 2.1%
Derby 013 3,930 36 0.9% 2.2%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 2 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Derby

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,225 million miles on roads in Derby in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Derby
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 956
1994 966
1995 977
1996 986
1997 986
1998 988
1999 1,000
2000 985
2001 995
2002 1,024
2003 1,031
2004 1,042
2005 1,038
2006 1,035
2007 1,049
2008 1,078
2009 1,070
2010 1,046
2011 1,057
2012 1,058
2013 1,044
2014 1,076
2015 1,088
2016 1,095
2017 1,122
2018 1,116
2019 1,143
2020 984
2021 1,048
2022 1,180
2023 1,196
2024 1,214
2025 1,225

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Derby, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 51190
2022 51297
2023 494116
2024 419118
2025 484114

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Derby

Unleaded petrol averages 171.3p a litre across 20 filling stations in Derby, 0.2p below the UK average. Diesel averages 199.2p, 0.5p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Costco Wholesale Derby Derby 164.9p
  2. Asda Derby Supercentre Spondon 168.7p
  3. MFG Morrisons Derby Derby 168.9p

Every filling station and price in Derby

How Derby compares

Derby compared with the East Midlands, England, the UK
Derby 410 3.5% 2.8% 5.5% 120 15.2
East Midlands 483 4.3% 3.3% 6.0% 122 20.8
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 Derby

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Derby, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 51.8% at Derby (Alvaston).

Other centres in the East Midlands:

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 East Midlands

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

Councils in the East Midlands
Ashfield 473 7.4% 3.2% 15.3% 103 21.4
Rushcliffe 511 6.2% 5.5% 3.6% 142 29.7
North Northamptonshire 521 5.3% 3.4% 7.7% 126 22.2
Harborough 560 5.2% 4.3% 19.3% 126 30.7
Chesterfield 480 5.0% 3.1% 12.0% 258 8.6
North West Leicestershire 547 4.9% 4.1% 4.3% 148 23.1
Newark and Sherwood 524 4.8% 4.1% 4.7% 120 26.8
South Derbyshire 542 4.8% 4.4% 3.5% 114 31.4
Blaby 523 4.7% 3.5% 5.6% 192 14.9
Gedling 480 4.4% 3.7% 5.0% 99 27.7
North Kesteven 552 4.4% 3.6% 4.6% 100 30.6
Bassetlaw 518 4.3% 3.6% 4.4% 146 19.3
Hinckley and Bosworth 553 4.3% 3.6% 3.7% 85 35.8
Amber Valley 533 4.2% 3.5% 4.9% 75 38.0
Bolsover 510 4.2% 3.4% 5.7% 156 16.1
Charnwood 478 4.2% 3.5% 4.6% 79 32.7
Melton 578 4.2% 3.6% 3.5% 63 53.1
Rutland 547 4.2% 3.7% 4.0% 188 18.6
West Northamptonshire 516 4.2% 3.5% 4.5% 144 19.8
Broxtowe 469 4.1% 3.5% 3.8% 141 17.9
North East Derbyshire 538 4.1% 3.5% 4.1% 38 76.8
West Lindsey 552 4.1% 3.6% 4.3% 70 43.7
Derbyshire Dales 587 4.0% 3.5% 3.6% 180 18.5
South Kesteven 545 4.0% 3.4% 4.4% 112 26.4
Mansfield 474 3.8% 2.9% 5.5% 85 25.1
Oadby and Wigston 464 3.8% 3.1% 9.0% 131 18.3
High Peak 514 3.7% 3.3% 3.8% 108 24.0
Erewash 491 3.6% 3.0% 4.9% 66 34.8
Derby 410 3.5% 2.8% 5.5% 120 15.2
Nottingham 299 3.4% 2.4% 7.5% 154 7.6
South Holland 567 3.3% 2.7% 4.2% 79 32.6
Lincoln 363 3.1% 2.3% 6.9% 176 7.4
East Lindsey 533 3.0% 2.4% 5.5% 143 15.0
Boston 508 2.8% 2.1% 5.4% 124 13.9
Leicester 328 2.6% 1.7% 5.9% 88 12.4

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 138,035 licensed vehicles in Derby 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 6,670 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 Derby 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.