South East · District council
Hastings motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Hastings, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Hastings compares with the South East. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 39,788 +0.6% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 415 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 940 2.4% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 1.8% 38th lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 47 52 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 4.8% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in Hastings?
There were 39,788 licensed cars in Hastings at the end of March 2026, and 48,529 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 13.1% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 415 for every 1,000 residents, 85th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Hastings
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 41,931 | 35,189 |
| 2011 | 42,219 | 35,440 |
| 2012 | 42,276 | 35,457 |
| 2013 | 42,340 | 35,548 |
| 2014 | 43,059 | 36,075 |
| 2015 | 44,122 | 36,848 |
| 2016 | 45,576 | 38,062 |
| 2017 | 46,728 | 38,899 |
| 2018 | 46,917 | 39,091 |
| 2019 | 46,856 | 38,907 |
| 2020 | 47,065 | 39,261 |
| 2021 | 47,168 | 39,114 |
| 2022 | 47,469 | 39,162 |
| 2023 | 47,530 | 39,037 |
| 2024 | 47,985 | 39,352 |
| 2025 | 48,339 | 39,540 |
| 2026 | 48,529 | 39,788 |
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 | Hastings | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 394 | 534 | – |
| 2012 | 393 | 535 | – |
| 2013 | 395 | 541 | – |
| 2014 | 400 | 547 | – |
| 2015 | 405 | 551 | 473 |
| 2016 | 414 | 559 | 480 |
| 2017 | 425 | 567 | 488 |
| 2018 | 426 | 570 | 490 |
| 2019 | 429 | 572 | 493 |
| 2020 | 427 | 561 | 489 |
| 2021 | 435 | 564 | 493 |
| 2022 | 432 | 565 | 489 |
| 2023 | 430 | 567 | 489 |
| 2024 | 433 | 570 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Hastings
62.1% of cars in Hastings run on petrol and 26.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 31.1% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.5%, and cars that plug in 3.6%.
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 | 79.1% | 20.6% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 77.7% | 22.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 76.1% | 23.5% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 74.6% | 24.9% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 73.0% | 26.3% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 71.5% | 27.7% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 70.3% | 28.7% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 69.0% | 29.7% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 68.3% | 30.1% | 1.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 67.6% | 30.5% | 1.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2020 | 67.0% | 30.7% | 1.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 66.0% | 31.1% | 2.3% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| 2022 | 65.4% | 30.8% | 2.9% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| 2023 | 64.7% | 30.2% | 3.7% | 0.8% | 0.4% |
| 2024 | 63.5% | 29.7% | 5.0% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| 2025 | 62.8% | 28.1% | 6.4% | 1.7% | 0.9% |
| 2026 | 62.1% | 26.5% | 7.5% | 2.4% | 1.2% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Hastings
940 battery electric cars were licensed in Hastings at the end of March 2026, 2.4% of all cars, 31st lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 1,427 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 655.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 1.8% are battery electric (688 cars), 3rd lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 26.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.8% of its cars overall. There are also 27 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 | Hastings | South East | United 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% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 0.5% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 0.8% | 3.0% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 1.7% | 5.7% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 2.4% | 8.7% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Hastings
There were 47 public chargers in Hastings on 1 July 2026, 22 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 52 for every 100,000 residents, 7th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 7.8% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 19.1 privately kept plug-in cars in Hastings (UK 11.9), 127th 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 | 51 | 22 |
| Apr 2026 | 59 | 22 |
| Jul 2026 | 47 | 22 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Hastings | 52 | 24 |
| East Sussex | 101 | 27 |
| South East | 159 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Hastings has 11 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.3% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.7%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings 001 | 5,269 | 140 | 2.7% |
| Hastings 002 | 6,159 | 148 | 2.4% |
| Hastings 010 | 6,099 | 99 | 1.6% |
| Hastings 006 | 4,589 | 66 | 1.4% |
| Hastings 004 | 3,632 | 43 | 1.2% |
| Hastings 009 | 2,601 | 25 | 1.0% |
| Hastings 003 | 3,715 | 34 | 0.9% |
| Hastings 005 | 2,877 | 14 | 0.5% |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 3 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.
Road traffic and collisions in Hastings
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 164 | 45 |
| 2022 | 205 | 53 |
| 2023 | 174 | 49 |
| 2024 | 167 | 50 |
| 2025 | 167 | 52 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Hastings
Unleaded petrol averages 169.3p a litre across 11 filling stations in Hastings, 2.4p below the UK average. Diesel averages 192.7p, 1.9p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Essar Tower Hill Service Station Hastings 167.9p
- Tesco Hastings Extra St Leonards-On-Sea 167.9p
- MFG Morrisons Hastings Hastings 167.9p
How Hastings compares
| Hastings | 415 | 2.4% | 52 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Sussex | 507 | 3.1% | 101 |
| South East | 496 | 8.7% | 159 |
| 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 East Sussex
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Wealden | 594 | 3.6% | 115 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewes | 489 | 3.5% | 140 |
| Rother | 546 | 2.9% | 67 |
| Eastbourne | 427 | 2.6% | 116 |
| Hastings | 415 | 2.4% | 52 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 48,529 licensed vehicles in Hastings | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 1,530 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 Hastings 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.