East of England · District council
East Cambridgeshire motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in East Cambridgeshire, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how East Cambridgeshire compares with the East of England. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 54,697 +1.5% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 567 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 2,377 4.3% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.9% 61st highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 84 90 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 3.7% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in East Cambridgeshire?
There were 54,697 licensed cars in East Cambridgeshire at the end of June 2026, and 71,528 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 22.7% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 567 for every 1,000 residents, 31st highest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in East Cambridgeshire
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 57,232 | 44,566 |
| 2011 | 58,061 | 45,226 |
| 2012 | 58,771 | 45,897 |
| 2013 | 59,816 | 46,696 |
| 2014 | 61,148 | 47,592 |
| 2015 | 61,471 | 47,926 |
| 2016 | 62,652 | 48,750 |
| 2017 | 63,428 | 49,312 |
| 2018 | 64,028 | 49,570 |
| 2019 | 64,998 | 50,252 |
| 2020 | 64,537 | 50,137 |
| 2021 | 66,053 | 50,839 |
| 2022 | 66,844 | 51,286 |
| 2023 | 67,992 | 52,191 |
| 2024 | 69,203 | 53,093 |
| 2025 | 70,476 | 53,900 |
| 2026 | 71,528 | 54,697 |
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.
| Year | East Cambridgeshire | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 537 | 503 | – |
| 2012 | 539 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 546 | 505 | – |
| 2014 | 551 | 524 | – |
| 2015 | 552 | 529 | 473 |
| 2016 | 561 | 537 | 480 |
| 2017 | 567 | 544 | 488 |
| 2018 | 571 | 542 | 490 |
| 2019 | 578 | 541 | 493 |
| 2020 | 577 | 536 | 489 |
| 2021 | 577 | 539 | 493 |
| 2022 | 574 | 532 | 489 |
| 2023 | 572 | 529 | 489 |
| 2024 | 572 | 531 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in East Cambridgeshire
51.9% of cars in East Cambridgeshire run on petrol and 33.9% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 42.7% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.3%, and cars that plug in 6.5%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 68.2% | 31.4% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 66.5% | 33.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 64.1% | 35.4% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 62.4% | 37.1% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 60.7% | 38.8% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 58.9% | 40.4% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 57.5% | 41.8% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 56.6% | 42.4% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 56.0% | 42.7% | 0.8% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2019 | 55.8% | 42.5% | 1.0% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2020 | 55.6% | 42.4% | 1.2% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 55.1% | 42.0% | 1.7% | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| 2022 | 54.6% | 40.9% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.7% |
| 2023 | 54.5% | 39.5% | 3.2% | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| 2024 | 53.8% | 38.0% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| 2025 | 52.8% | 36.2% | 5.8% | 3.1% | 1.7% |
| 2026 | 51.9% | 33.9% | 7.3% | 4.3% | 2.2% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in East Cambridgeshire
2,377 battery electric cars were licensed in East Cambridgeshire at the end of June 2026, 4.3% of all cars, 118th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,555 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,656.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.9% are battery electric (2,050 cars), 9th highest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 13.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.7% of its cars overall. There are also 53 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.
| Year | East Cambridgeshire | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | 1.9% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 2.2% | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 3.1% | 4.1% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 4.3% | 5.6% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in East Cambridgeshire
There were 84 public chargers in East Cambridgeshire on 1 July 2026, 18 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 90 for every 100,000 residents, 74th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 9.7% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 36.5 privately kept plug-in cars in East Cambridgeshire (UK 12.9), 20th most of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.
Public chargers
| Date | All public chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 93 | 12 |
| Apr 2026 | 93 | 16 |
| Jul 2026 | 84 | 18 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| East Cambridgeshire | 90 | 19 |
| Cambridgeshire | 182 | 58 |
| East of England | 150 | 49 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
East Cambridgeshire has 10 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.3%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Cambridgeshire 009 | 4,439 | 191 | 4.3% |
| East Cambridgeshire 003 | 6,915 | 278 | 4.0% |
| East Cambridgeshire 008 | 4,560 | 181 | 4.0% |
| East Cambridgeshire 007 | 5,584 | 220 | 3.9% |
| East Cambridgeshire 004 | 4,562 | 164 | 3.6% |
| East Cambridgeshire 005 | 8,576 | 313 | 3.6% |
| East Cambridgeshire 011 | 4,698 | 158 | 3.4% |
| East Cambridgeshire 002 | 6,664 | 208 | 3.1% |
| East Cambridgeshire 001 | 7,001 | 185 | 2.6% |
| East Cambridgeshire 006 | 9,066 | 212 | 2.3% |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in East Cambridgeshire
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 113 | 32 |
| 2022 | 142 | 45 |
| 2023 | 142 | 42 |
| 2024 | 133 | 45 |
| 2025 | 113 | 35 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in East Cambridgeshire
Unleaded petrol averages 171.2p a litre across 10 filling stations in East Cambridgeshire, 0.3p below the UK average. Diesel averages 199.4p, 0.7p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Jet Fordham Service Station Ely 165.9p
- Sainsbury's Ely Automat Ely 168.9p
- Asda Burwell Express Petrol Cambridge 169.9p
How East Cambridgeshire compares
| East Cambridgeshire | 567 | 4.3% | 90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridgeshire | 493 | 4.8% | 182 |
| East of England | 501 | 5.6% | 150 |
| England | 440 | 6.2% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 444 | 5.8% | 175 |
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 East Cambridgeshire
There is no DVSA car practical test centre in East Cambridgeshire. The nearest centre is elsewhere in Cambridgeshire.
Centres in Cambridgeshire:
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 Cambridgeshire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| South Cambridgeshire | 547 | 5.9% | 205 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | 270 | 5.0% | 313 |
| Huntingdonshire | 549 | 5.0% | 175 |
| East Cambridgeshire | 567 | 4.3% | 90 |
| Fenland | 539 | 2.9% | 53 |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 71,528 licensed vehicles in East Cambridgeshire | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 3,642 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 East Cambridgeshire 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.