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East Midlands motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
3,279,634 licensed vehicles in East Midlands
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 2,599,676 +0.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 483 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 111,049 4.3% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.3% UK 3.1%
  • Public chargers 6,153 122 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 6.0% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in the East Midlands?

There were 2,599,676 licensed cars in the East Midlands at the end of June 2026, and 3,279,634 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.6% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 483 for every 1,000 residents (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in the East Midlands

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in the East Midlands at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 2,670,4712,172,912
2011 2,695,0202,185,968
2012 2,704,6882,194,341
2013 2,756,0582,230,906
2014 2,812,6452,275,408
2015 2,851,8632,307,102
2016 2,901,8722,344,815
2017 2,977,6012,402,261
2018 3,009,8622,425,349
2019 3,067,7382,464,874
2020 3,028,6082,433,528
2021 3,117,0142,479,958
2022 3,142,6982,490,142
2023 3,193,2442,526,593
2024 3,232,8962,563,422
2025 3,273,3012,591,156
2026 3,279,6342,599,676

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, the East Midlands compared
Year East MidlandsEnglandUnited Kingdom
2011 482457–
2012 480455–
2013 485458–
2014 490463–
2015 493466473
2016 496471480
2017 503478488
2018 504480490
2019 509483493
2020 501477489
2021 508482493
2022 505478489
2023 505477489
2024 506478490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in the East Midlands

51.8% of cars in the East Midlands run on petrol and 33.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 40.8% in 2020. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.9%, and cars that plug in 6.7%.

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 the East Midlands, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 70.8%28.9%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 68.8%30.7%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 66.7%32.7%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2013 64.9%34.6%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 62.9%36.5%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 61.2%38.0%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 59.7%39.4%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 58.7%40.2%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2018 57.8%40.7%1.0%0.1%0.2%
2019 57.4%40.7%1.3%0.1%0.3%
2020 56.9%40.8%1.5%0.2%0.4%
2021 56.1%40.5%2.1%0.5%0.6%
2022 55.5%39.9%2.7%0.9%0.8%
2023 55.0%38.7%3.6%1.4%1.0%
2024 54.2%37.1%4.9%2.0%1.5%
2025 52.9%35.3%6.6%3.0%1.9%
2026 51.8%33.3%7.9%4.3%2.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in the East Midlands

111,049 battery electric cars were licensed in the East Midlands at the end of June 2026, 4.3% of all cars. With plug-in hybrids, 173,073 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 77,979.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.3% are battery electric (81,542 cars). Companies keep 26.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 6.0% of its cars overall. There are also 14,063 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 East Midlands compared, end of March each year
Year East MidlandsEnglandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.4%0.4%
2021 0.5%0.9%0.8%
2022 0.9%1.6%1.5%
2023 1.4%2.5%2.3%
2024 2.0%3.5%3.2%
2025 3.0%4.7%4.4%
2026 4.3%6.2%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in the East Midlands

There were 6,153 public chargers in the East Midlands on 1 July 2026, 2,367 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 122 for every 100,000 residents, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 11.8% from 1 January 2025.

For every public charger there are 20.8 privately kept plug-in cars in the East Midlands (UK 12.9). A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.

Public chargers

Public EV chargers in the East Midlands by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2025 5,5051,769
Apr 2025 5,3891,734
Jul 2025 5,2771,771
Oct 2025 5,4051,814
Jan 2026 6,1192,192
Apr 2026 6,2632,239
Jul 2026 6,1532,367

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

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

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Petrol and diesel prices in East Midlands

Unleaded petrol averages 172.5p a litre across 404 filling stations in East Midlands, 1.0p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.1p, 0.4p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. BP Selston Service UK Ltd Nottingham 161.9p
  2. Jet Cotgrave Service Station Nottingham 164.6p
  3. Unbranded Bridge Garage Swadlincote Limited Swadlincote 164.9p

Every filling station and price in East Midlands

How the East Midlands compares

East Midlands compared with England, the UK
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 the East Midlands

There are 12 DVSA car practical test centres in the East Midlands, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 69.7% at Melton Mowbray.

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 3,279,634 licensed vehicles in East Midlands 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 189,952 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 the East Midlands 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.