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East Lothian motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
69,196 licensed vehicles in East Lothian
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 57,304 +1.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 476 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 2,774 4.8% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.4% 22nd highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 691 600 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 4.4% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in East Lothian?

There were 57,304 licensed cars in East Lothian at the end of June 2026, and 69,196 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 26.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 476 for every 1,000 residents, 159th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in East Lothian

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in East Lothian at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 53,99145,405
2011 54,41945,838
2012 54,91446,165
2013 56,23047,012
2014 57,21447,870
2015 57,93348,633
2016 59,07849,445
2017 60,12850,525
2018 61,07051,350
2019 62,31052,386
2020 62,44152,557
2021 64,36053,768
2022 64,80853,889
2023 65,69454,598
2024 66,88255,470
2025 68,22256,568
2026 69,19657,304

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, East Lothian compared
Year East LothianScotlandUnited Kingdom
2011 459429–
2012 457430–
2013 461436–
2014 465443–
2015 467446473
2016 470450480
2017 476457488
2018 480461490
2019 483465493
2020 480462489
2021 483469493
2022 479466489
2023 480465489
2024 482468490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in East Lothian

58.1% of cars in East Lothian run on petrol and 25.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.8% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 9.4%, and cars that plug in 6.9%.

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 East Lothian, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 71.2%28.6%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 69.3%30.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 67.9%31.8%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 66.3%33.3%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 64.6%35.0%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 62.9%36.6%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 61.1%38.2%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 60.1%39.1%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2018 59.2%39.8%0.6%0.2%0.2%
2019 59.3%39.3%0.8%0.3%0.2%
2020 59.5%38.7%1.1%0.4%0.3%
2021 59.5%37.4%1.8%0.7%0.4%
2022 59.3%35.7%2.8%1.3%0.7%
2023 59.3%33.7%3.9%1.9%0.9%
2024 59.7%30.9%5.5%2.6%1.1%
2025 59.3%28.0%7.3%3.5%1.5%
2026 58.1%25.1%9.4%4.8%2.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in East Lothian

2,774 battery electric cars were licensed in East Lothian at the end of June 2026, 4.8% of all cars, 64th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 3,950 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,995.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.4% are battery electric (2,403 cars), 4th highest of 32 councils in Scotland. Companies keep 13.4% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.4% of its cars overall. There are also 87 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, East Lothian compared, end of March each year
Year East LothianScotlandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.3%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.4%0.3%0.4%
2021 0.7%0.7%0.8%
2022 1.3%1.2%1.5%
2023 1.9%1.9%2.3%
2024 2.6%2.5%3.2%
2025 3.5%3.4%4.4%
2026 4.8%4.5%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in East Lothian

There were 691 public chargers in East Lothian on 1 July 2026, 49 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 600 for every 100,000 residents, 11th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 17.5% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 5.1 privately kept plug-in cars in East Lothian (UK 12.9), 26th 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 East Lothian by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 58849
Apr 2026 63049
Jul 2026 69149

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, East Lothian compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
East Lothian 60043
Scotland 23259
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Road traffic and collisions in East Lothian

Vehicles travelled an estimated 670 million miles on roads in East Lothian in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in East Lothian
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 406
1994 415
1995 422
1996 435
1997 445
1998 451
1999 463
2000 467
2001 476
2002 486
2003 500
2004 509
2005 522
2006 542
2007 559
2008 536
2009 524
2010 527
2011 526
2012 519
2013 519
2014 539
2015 547
2016 577
2017 620
2018 621
2019 627
2020 485
2021 573
2022 629
2023 637
2024 653
2025 670

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in East Lothian, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 9032
2022 10344
2023 8332
2024 6123
2025 6924

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in East Lothian

Unleaded petrol averages 171.7p a litre across 11 filling stations in East Lothian, 0.2p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.4p, 0.7p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Asda Dunbar Supermarket Dunbar 169.9p
  2. Esso MFG Dalrymple North Berwick 169.9p
  3. Tesco North Berwick Superstore North Berwick 169.9p

Every filling station and price in East Lothian

Roadworks in East Lothian

The Scottish Road Works Register lists 522 sets of roadworks in East Lothian, of which 111 are under way and 411 are planned. 143 of them close a road, a lane, a slip road or the hard shoulder. East Lothian Council is behind the most, 192 of them (36.8%). From the extract of 30 October 2026.

Works most likely to hold you up

  • Lamer Street, Dunbar

    Road closed Under way, until 16 Jul 2027 East Lothian Council

    Urgent repair to sinkhole

  • U194 From Eweford Farm Access To Former A1 (U191), Belhaven

    Road closed Under way, until 15 May 2027 East Lothian Council

    Occupation for temp closure

  • Ware Road, North Berwick

    Road closed Under way, until 2 Nov 2026 SP Energy Networks

    New substation located at 20 Direlton Ave requires 2x 11kV 185mm(3) cables to be laid as per attached diagram. These works will be on May Terrace…

  • C137 (04) From Waughton Road (C134) To Whitekirk Road (C136)

    Road closed Under way, until 2 Nov 2026 East Lothian Council

    Carriageway Repair work

  • U102 From A6094 To B6414, Smeaton

    Road closed Under way, until 13 Nov 2026 East Lothian Council

    Install a mainline sewer connection over the main road at Salters Road S117-S116. Install site entrance also off of salters road.

  • Whitecraig Road

    Lane closed Under way, until 6 Nov 2026 The Electricity Network Company Limited

    Works required to complete MU for the new housing development

  • Dunbar Road, North Berwick

    Road closed Under way, until 20 Nov 2026 East Lothian Council

    Carriageway Resurfacing

  • U102 From A6094 To B6414, Smeaton

    Road closed Under way, until 13 Nov 2026 East Lothian Council

    Install a mainline sewer connection over the main road at Salters Road S117-S116.

  • U118 (01) From Templehall Road (C84) To Glenkinchie Dstillery

    Road closed On 1 Nov 2026 BT

    Sunday working (09:30 – 15:30). Without excavation. Road closure required to provide safe access to overhead network for cabling. Grid ref…

  • U195 From Wester Broomhouse Farm To Spott Filter Beds (C127)

    Road closed 2 Nov 2026 to 13 Nov 2026 Gofibre Holdings Limited

    TRR & excavation for civils works

Who is digging

  • East Lothian Council 192
  • Gofibre Holdings Limited 135
  • BT 75
  • SP Energy Networks 52
  • Scottish Water 33

How traffic is managed

  • Temporary traffic lights 180
  • Road closed 136
  • Give and take 116
  • Footway only 40
  • Road narrowed 23

The register publishes one extract a day, so works can start, finish or change after it is taken. Roadworks across Scotland.

Source:SRWR Extract of 2026-10-30 Updated

How East Lothian compares

East Lothian compared with Scotland, the UK
East Lothian 476 4.8% 4.4% 4.4% 600 5.1
Scotland 439 4.5% 3.3% 7.8% 232 9.7
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 East Lothian

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in East Lothian, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 57.5% at Haddington.

Other centres in Scotland:

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 Scotland

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

Councils in Scotland
Stirling 471 14.8% 4.5% 32.2% 511 6.0
Renfrewshire 439 12.8% 3.5% 34.8% 243 10.1
East Renfrewshire 475 5.5% 4.9% 4.3% 82 43.0
East Dunbartonshire 482 5.1% 4.5% 4.0% 103 32.4
West Lothian 481 4.9% 4.3% 5.6% 137 21.7
East Lothian 476 4.8% 4.4% 4.4% 600 5.1
Edinburgh 326 4.5% 3.6% 5.2% 192 9.7
Midlothian 465 4.5% 4.1% 5.1% 223 12.7
Orkney Islands 496 4.5% 4.0% 5.2% 386 7.3
South Lanarkshire 465 4.5% 3.9% 6.2% 182 15.3
Perth and Kinross 510 4.4% 3.9% 5.1% 363 8.3
Dundee 373 4.1% 3.2% 6.6% 472 3.7
North Lanarkshire 436 4.0% 3.4% 7.2% 168 13.7
Falkirk 495 3.9% 3.3% 5.4% 163 15.2
Fife 481 3.9% 3.4% 4.8% 132 18.2
South Ayrshire 483 3.9% 3.4% 5.1% 205 12.2
Aberdeenshire 533 3.8% 3.3% 4.3% 162 17.8
East Ayrshire 469 3.6% 3.1% 6.0% 229 9.6
Glasgow 309 3.5% 2.4% 9.6% 180 6.8
North Ayrshire 458 3.5% 3.0% 5.9% 199 10.6
Angus 507 3.4% 3.0% 4.7% 221 10.7
Clackmannanshire 496 3.4% 3.0% 4.9% 205 10.9
Aberdeen 399 3.3% 2.8% 4.4% 192 10.2
Scottish Borders 510 3.2% 2.9% 4.8% 224 10.4
Inverclyde 426 2.9% 2.5% 5.6% 237 7.5
West Dunbartonshire 421 2.9% 2.4% 6.7% 204 8.3
Argyll and Bute 474 2.8% 2.4% 4.7% 396 5.1
Highland 500 2.8% 2.3% 5.0% 387 5.0
Moray 507 2.8% 2.3% 4.5% 153 13.3
Dumfries and Galloway 514 2.4% 2.0% 5.7% 549 3.2
Shetland Islands 476 2.2% 1.7% 9.1% 323 4.3
Na h-Eileanan Siar 507 1.6% 1.3% 4.2% 515 2.4

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 69,196 licensed vehicles in East Lothian 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 4,103 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
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in East Lothian 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.
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.