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Halton motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
81,035 licensed vehicles in Halton
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 67,177 +1.9% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 460 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 4,214 6.3% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.4% 130th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 88 67 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 9.9% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Halton?

There were 67,177 licensed cars in Halton at the end of June 2026, and 81,035 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 460 for every 1,000 residents, 123rd lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Halton

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Halton at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 66,38056,371
2011 66,89856,448
2012 68,89156,730
2013 69,82657,417
2014 70,85058,163
2015 70,82758,595
2016 70,59059,123
2017 71,50159,937
2018 73,46261,663
2019 74,60462,544
2020 74,10362,461
2021 75,84763,296
2022 76,16563,306
2023 77,32964,128
2024 78,32665,112
2025 79,54865,908
2026 81,03567,177

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, Halton compared
Year HaltonNorth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 449429–
2012 452425–
2013 456428–
2014 460433–
2015 463435473
2016 466438480
2017 472440488
2018 482443490
2019 487448493
2020 486446489
2021 492477493
2022 489472489
2023 492472489
2024 495474490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Halton

53.9% of cars in Halton run on petrol and 28.9% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 40.2% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.6%, and cars that plug in 8.1%.

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 Halton, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 72.6%27.1%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 70.2%29.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 68.0%31.6%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 66.1%33.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 64.8%34.7%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 63.0%36.5%0.3%0.1%0.0%
2016 61.2%38.2%0.3%0.1%0.1%
2017 60.1%39.3%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2018 59.1%40.2%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2019 59.0%40.0%0.6%0.1%0.2%
2020 59.2%39.6%0.7%0.2%0.2%
2021 59.2%38.8%1.1%0.5%0.3%
2022 58.6%37.9%1.7%1.1%0.4%
2023 58.4%36.1%2.6%2.1%0.6%
2024 56.9%34.2%4.5%3.3%0.8%
2025 55.6%31.6%6.6%4.7%1.2%
2026 53.9%28.9%8.6%6.3%1.9%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Halton

4,214 battery electric cars were licensed in Halton at the end of June 2026, 6.3% of all cars, 23rd highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,470 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 3,065.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.4% are battery electric (2,068 cars), 11th highest of 35 councils in the North West. Companies keep 50.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 9.9% of its cars overall. There are also 322 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, Halton compared, end of March each year
Year HaltonNorth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.5%0.8%0.8%
2022 1.1%1.7%1.5%
2023 2.1%2.9%2.3%
2024 3.3%4.1%3.2%
2025 4.7%5.3%4.4%
2026 6.3%6.6%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Halton

There were 88 public chargers in Halton on 1 July 2026, 11 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 67 for every 100,000 residents, 33rd lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 10.0% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 36.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Halton (UK 12.9), 21st 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 Halton by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 8010
Apr 2026 8610
Jul 2026 8811

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Halton compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Halton 678
North West 11240
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Halton has 16 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, 6.3%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Halton with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Halton 009 7,249 456 6.3% 8.9%
Halton 001 5,637 288 5.1% 7.8%
Halton 002 6,091 266 4.4% 7.4%
Halton 005 4,238 126 3.0% 4.9%
Halton 016 4,220 124 2.9% 4.5%
Halton 011 4,050 108 2.7% 3.9%
Halton 003 3,789 100 2.6% 3.9%
Halton 006 3,565 81 2.3% 3.3%
Halton 012 5,880 134 2.3% 3.4%
Halton 008 4,271 92 2.2% 3.7%
Lowest electric shares
Halton 004 3,212 30 0.9% 2.5%
Halton 007 3,200 47 1.5% 2.3%
Halton 015 2,822 47 1.7% 2.6%
Halton 013 4,058 79 1.9% 2.8%
Halton 014 2,952 60 2.0% 3.2%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Halton

Vehicles travelled an estimated 665 million miles on roads in Halton in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Halton
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 497
1994 507
1995 517
1996 535
1997 553
1998 570
1999 571
2000 586
2001 582
2002 591
2003 612
2004 612
2005 607
2006 617
2007 622
2008 614
2009 611
2010 596
2011 605
2012 612
2013 613
2014 629
2015 637
2016 638
2017 623
2018 681
2019 689
2020 553
2021 589
2022 639
2023 634
2024 644
2025 665

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Halton, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 14827
2022 15740
2023 15840
2024 12336
2025 13040

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Halton

Unleaded petrol averages 170.8p a litre across 9 filling stations in Halton, 0.7p below the UK average. Diesel averages 196.6p, 2.1p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. MFG Morrisons Widnes Appleton Ward 168.7p
  2. Valero MFG Widnes Widnes 168.9p
  3. Asda Widnes Superstore Widnes 169.7p

Every filling station and price in Halton

How Halton compares

Halton compared with the North West, England, the UK
Halton 460 6.3% 3.4% 9.9% 67 36.3
North West 430 6.6% 3.1% 11.7% 112 18.9
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 Halton

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Halton, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 42.7% at Widnes.

Other centres in the North West:

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 North West

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

Councils in the North West
Stockport 467 24.6% 3.4% 45.3% 115 21.8
Cheshire West and Chester 510 20.0% 4.0% 34.8% 111 27.4
Halton 460 6.3% 3.4% 9.9% 67 36.3
Bury 432 5.6% 3.2% 18.8% 55 40.3
Cheshire East 532 5.2% 4.3% 5.4% 123 28.8
Salford 332 4.9% 2.8% 15.3% 96 15.9
Warrington 512 4.8% 4.0% 4.9% 160 19.7
Chorley 506 4.7% 4.0% 4.2% 124 24.4
Ribble Valley 546 4.7% 4.2% 3.8% 123 30.3
Trafford 450 4.7% 3.8% 5.2% 189 14.5
West Lancashire 491 4.7% 3.7% 6.5% 76 37.0
Knowsley 383 4.6% 3.7% 8.5% 57 39.4
South Ribble 527 4.4% 3.8% 4.3% 167 17.6
Fylde 533 4.3% 3.6% 4.9% 133 23.0
Wyre 508 4.0% 3.3% 4.8% 136 19.0
Preston 396 3.9% 3.0% 7.2% 79 24.4
St Helens 453 3.8% 3.0% 6.0% 72 29.5
Wirral 455 3.8% 3.1% 5.8% 71 30.3
Manchester 282 3.7% 2.1% 9.9% 128 8.3
Sefton 427 3.7% 3.0% 6.7% 61 34.6
Wigan 457 3.7% 3.1% 4.8% 76 28.7
Bolton 411 3.5% 2.8% 6.3% 55 34.2
Liverpool 304 3.5% 2.5% 9.4% 196 6.7
Rossendale 476 3.5% 2.9% 5.3% 179 13.1
Blackburn with Darwen 394 3.4% 2.6% 6.6% 79 21.7
Rochdale 406 3.4% 2.7% 6.2% 72 26.0
Lancaster 438 3.3% 2.8% 4.2% 135 13.6
Oldham 381 3.1% 2.3% 7.5% 71 21.6
Tameside 414 3.1% 2.4% 5.5% 59 27.9
Hyndburn 421 2.9% 2.1% 6.7% 58 24.9
Blackpool 386 2.8% 2.1% 6.4% 111 11.1
Burnley 393 2.8% 2.2% 6.2% 108 13.0
Westmorland and Furness 516 2.8% 2.4% 4.7% 266 7.9
Cumberland 508 2.6% 2.2% 4.7% 157 11.8
Pendle 425 2.5% 2.0% 6.0% 63 22.5

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 81,035 licensed vehicles in Halton 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 5,819 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 Halton 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.