East Midlands · District council

Derbyshire Dales motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
60,288 licensed vehicles in Derbyshire Dales
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 43,517 +0.8% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 584 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 1,577 3.6% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.1% 120th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 129 180 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 3.6% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in the Derbyshire Dales?

There were 43,517 licensed cars in the Derbyshire Dales at the end of March 2026, and 60,288 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 11.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 584 for every 1,000 residents, 14th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in the Derbyshire Dales

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in the Derbyshire Dales at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 50,96339,193
2011 51,55139,624
2012 52,28639,969
2013 52,21939,770
2014 52,85340,252
2015 53,46040,667
2016 54,20241,094
2017 55,16141,658
2018 55,61341,822
2019 56,35442,127
2020 56,95342,522
2021 57,49242,335
2022 58,85242,871
2023 59,16742,984
2024 59,42743,000
2025 59,77443,178
2026 60,28843,517

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Licensed vehicles by type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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, the Derbyshire Dales compared
Year Derbyshire DalesEast MidlandsUnited Kingdom
2011 561482
2012 558480
2013 564485
2014 573490
2015 577493473
2016 583496480
2017 589503488
2018 592504490
2019 596509493
2020 593501489
2021 599508493
2022 601505489
2023 600505489
2024 604506490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in the Derbyshire Dales

51.4% of cars in the Derbyshire Dales run on petrol and 35.2% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 46.0% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.1%, and cars that plug in 5.9%.

Cars by fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 the Derbyshire Dales, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 63.0%36.6%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 60.7%38.8%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 59.1%40.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 57.6%41.9%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 56.1%43.3%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 54.7%44.6%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 54.0%45.2%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2017 53.3%45.8%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2018 52.8%46.0%0.7%0.1%0.2%
2019 53.3%45.2%0.9%0.2%0.3%
2020 53.6%44.5%1.2%0.3%0.4%
2021 53.3%43.9%1.6%0.5%0.6%
2022 53.3%42.5%2.2%0.9%0.8%
2023 53.0%41.1%3.0%1.4%1.1%
2024 53.0%39.3%4.0%1.8%1.4%
2025 52.4%37.4%5.4%2.6%1.8%
2026 51.4%35.2%7.1%3.6%2.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in the Derbyshire Dales

1,577 battery electric cars were licensed in the Derbyshire Dales at the end of March 2026, 3.6% of all cars, 165th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,571 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,119.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.1% are battery electric (1,321 cars), 11th highest of 35 councils in the East Midlands. Companies keep 16.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.6% of its cars overall. There are also 66 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, the Derbyshire Dales compared, end of March each year
Year Derbyshire DalesEast 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 0.3%0.2%0.3%
2021 0.5%0.4%0.7%
2022 0.9%0.8%1.3%
2023 1.4%1.3%2.1%
2024 1.8%1.9%3.0%
2025 2.6%2.7%4.1%
2026 3.6%3.9%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in the Derbyshire Dales

There were 129 public chargers in the Derbyshire Dales on 1 July 2026, 31 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 180 for every 100,000 residents, 113th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 0.0% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 16.1 privately kept plug-in cars in the Derbyshire Dales (UK 11.9), 177th most 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 the Derbyshire Dales by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 12928
Apr 2026 13631
Jul 2026 12931

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, the Derbyshire Dales compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Derbyshire Dales 18043
Derbyshire 11945
East Midlands 12247
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

The Derbyshire Dales has 9 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.5% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.7%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in the Derbyshire Dales with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Derbyshire Dales 002 4,823 178 3.7% 5.9%
Derbyshire Dales 010 6,773 223 3.3% 5.6%
Derbyshire Dales 001 5,565 164 2.9% 4.6%
Derbyshire Dales 005 6,429 180 2.8% 4.4%
Derbyshire Dales 009 4,592 114 2.5% 4.1%
Derbyshire Dales 006 5,614 133 2.4% 3.8%
Derbyshire Dales 008 6,221 135 2.2% 4.1%
Derbyshire Dales 007 3,944 80 2.0% 3.0%
Derbyshire Dales 011 8,227 160 1.9% 3.3%

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

Road traffic and collisions in the Derbyshire Dales

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in the Derbyshire Dales, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 16236
2022 22078
2023 20178
2024 15866
2025 17057

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Derbyshire Dales

Unleaded petrol averages 172.6p a litre across 13 filling stations in Derbyshire Dales, 0.9p above the UK average. Diesel averages 194.7p, 0.1p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

How the Derbyshire Dales compares

Derbyshire Dales compared with Derbyshire, the East Midlands, England, the UK
Derbyshire Dales 584 3.6% 3.1% 3.6% 180 16.1
Derbyshire 520 3.8% 3.1% 5.3% 119 21.9
East Midlands 479 3.9% 2.9% 5.9% 122 18.1
England 437 5.8% 2.9% 10.6% 173 12.4
United Kingdom4415.4%2.8%9.9%17511.9

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 March 2026.

Councils in Derbyshire

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

Councils in Derbyshire
Chesterfield 476 4.7% 2.7% 11.6% 258 9.0
South Derbyshire 537 4.3% 3.8% 3.5% 114 28.5
Amber Valley 529 3.8% 3.1% 5.0% 75 36.1
Bolsover 506 3.8% 2.9% 5.8% 156 13.8
Derbyshire Dales 584 3.6% 3.1% 3.6% 180 16.1
North East Derbyshire 532 3.6% 3.0% 4.2% 38 63.7
High Peak 511 3.4% 2.9% 3.8% 108 20.5
Erewash 488 3.3% 2.7% 4.8% 66 37.9

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 60,288 licensed vehicles in Derbyshire Dales 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 2,674 plug-in vehicles 15 September 2026
Public chargers Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport 1 July 2026 121,171 public chargers (UK) 15 September 2026
Population Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics Mid-2024 404 areas 15 September 2026
Neighbourhoods Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales 15 September 2026
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in the Derbyshire Dales 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.