East of England · District council
Harlow motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Harlow, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Harlow compares with the East of England. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 45,510 +1.1% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 442 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 1,346 3.0% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.3% 103rd lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 73 74 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 4.7% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in Harlow?
There were 45,510 licensed cars in Harlow at the end of March 2026, and 55,097 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 25.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 442 for every 1,000 residents, 105th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Harlow
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 42,112 | 36,142 |
| 2011 | 42,442 | 36,477 |
| 2012 | 42,620 | 36,609 |
| 2013 | 43,286 | 37,211 |
| 2014 | 44,373 | 38,222 |
| 2015 | 45,671 | 39,307 |
| 2016 | 48,527 | 40,663 |
| 2017 | 49,341 | 41,323 |
| 2018 | 49,808 | 41,801 |
| 2019 | 50,335 | 42,351 |
| 2020 | 50,933 | 42,962 |
| 2021 | 50,818 | 42,794 |
| 2022 | 51,600 | 43,148 |
| 2023 | 52,209 | 43,555 |
| 2024 | 54,014 | 44,541 |
| 2025 | 54,473 | 45,010 |
| 2026 | 55,097 | 45,510 |
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.
| Year | Harlow | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 445 | 503 | – |
| 2012 | 442 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 443 | 505 | – |
| 2014 | 448 | 524 | – |
| 2015 | 453 | 529 | 473 |
| 2016 | 459 | 537 | 480 |
| 2017 | 461 | 544 | 488 |
| 2018 | 462 | 542 | 490 |
| 2019 | 464 | 541 | 493 |
| 2020 | 460 | 536 | 489 |
| 2021 | 462 | 539 | 493 |
| 2022 | 458 | 532 | 489 |
| 2023 | 455 | 529 | 489 |
| 2024 | 456 | 531 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Harlow
62.2% of cars in Harlow run on petrol and 24.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 33.0% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.6%, and cars that plug in 4.8%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 80.1% | 19.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 78.5% | 21.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 76.7% | 22.9% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 74.9% | 24.6% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 73.4% | 26.2% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 71.2% | 28.2% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 69.3% | 30.0% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 67.6% | 31.5% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 66.2% | 32.6% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 65.3% | 33.0% | 1.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2020 | 65.0% | 32.8% | 1.7% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 64.4% | 32.7% | 2.1% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2022 | 64.4% | 31.6% | 2.7% | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| 2023 | 64.2% | 30.2% | 3.7% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 2024 | 64.2% | 27.9% | 5.3% | 1.4% | 0.9% |
| 2025 | 63.7% | 25.9% | 6.8% | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| 2026 | 62.2% | 24.1% | 8.6% | 3.0% | 1.9% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Harlow
1,346 battery electric cars were licensed in Harlow at the end of March 2026, 3.0% of all cars, 110th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,196 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 921.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.3% are battery electric (998 cars), 14th lowest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 25.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.7% of its cars overall. There are also 67 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 | Harlow | East of England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0% | 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% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | 1.7% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | 2.6% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 2.0% | 3.8% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 3.0% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Harlow
There were 73 public chargers in Harlow on 1 July 2026, 15 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 74 for every 100,000 residents, 47th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 9.0% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 22.8 privately kept plug-in cars in Harlow (UK 11.9), 84th 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 | 67 | 15 |
| Apr 2026 | 75 | 15 |
| Jul 2026 | 73 | 15 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Harlow | 74 | 15 |
| Essex | 90 | 45 |
| East of England | 150 | 49 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Harlow has 11 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlow 001 | 7,262 | 283 | 3.9% |
| Harlow 005 | 5,283 | 172 | 3.3% |
| Harlow 009 | 3,830 | 81 | 2.1% |
| Harlow 011 | 3,965 | 80 | 2.0% |
| Harlow 010 | 4,050 | 71 | 1.8% |
| Harlow 006 | 4,017 | 64 | 1.6% |
| Harlow 008 | 4,000 | 64 | 1.6% |
| Harlow 004 | 4,388 | 57 | 1.3% |
| Harlow 007 | 3,601 | 29 | 0.8% |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 2 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.
Road traffic and collisions in Harlow
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 103 | 22 |
| 2022 | 119 | 29 |
| 2023 | 101 | 26 |
| 2024 | 115 | 24 |
| 2025 | 103 | 30 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Harlow
Unleaded petrol averages 175.7p a litre across 10 filling stations in Harlow, 4.0p above the UK average. Diesel averages 197.5p, 2.9p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Tesco Harlow Church Langley Superstore Harlow 174.9p
- Tesco Harlow E Rd Superstore Harlow 174.9p
- Esso MFG Linkway Harlow 174.9p
How Harlow compares
| Harlow | 442 | 3.0% | 74 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | 507 | 3.4% | 90 |
| East of England | 497 | 5.2% | 150 |
| England | 437 | 5.8% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 441 | 5.4% | 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 March 2026.
Councils in Essex
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Uttlesford | 588 | 4.4% | 164 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epping Forest | 497 | 4.1% | 126 |
| Brentwood | 499 | 3.8% | 97 |
| Basildon | 459 | 3.7% | 62 |
| Chelmsford | 502 | 3.7% | 105 |
| Colchester | 471 | 3.3% | 90 |
| Maldon | 598 | 3.2% | 61 |
| Braintree | 533 | 3.0% | 89 |
| Harlow | 442 | 3.0% | 74 |
| Rochford | 549 | 3.0% | 76 |
| Tendring | 509 | 2.6% | 84 |
| Castle Point | 531 | 2.5% | 42 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 55,097 licensed vehicles in Harlow | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 2,340 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 Harlow 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.