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Inverclyde motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
40,392 licensed vehicles in Inverclyde
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 35,566 +0.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 426 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 1,040 2.9% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.5% 90th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 187 237 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.6% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Inverclyde?

There were 35,566 licensed cars in Inverclyde at the end of June 2026, and 40,392 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 10.6% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 426 for every 1,000 residents, 91st lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Inverclyde

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Inverclyde at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 35,41732,147
2011 35,38632,123
2012 35,47432,110
2013 35,83432,405
2014 36,43032,950
2015 36,74533,203
2016 37,30733,669
2017 37,92634,172
2018 38,31634,555
2019 38,66534,720
2020 38,35334,485
2021 39,37835,152
2022 39,26434,906
2023 39,45934,848
2024 39,82335,074
2025 40,27335,467
2026 40,39235,566

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, Inverclyde compared
Year InverclydeScotlandUnited Kingdom
2011 396429–
2012 397430–
2013 401436–
2014 409443–
2015 413446473
2016 420450480
2017 428457488
2018 436461490
2019 439465493
2020 439462489
2021 448469493
2022 446466489
2023 442465489
2024 445468490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Inverclyde

60.4% of cars in Inverclyde run on petrol and 25.8% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 36.7% in 2020. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.8%, and cars that plug in 4.6%.

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 Inverclyde, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 77.9%21.9%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 76.1%23.7%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 74.2%25.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 72.3%27.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 70.2%29.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 68.1%31.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2016 66.1%33.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2017 64.4%35.1%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2018 63.0%36.4%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2019 62.4%36.7%0.5%0.1%0.1%
2020 62.2%36.7%0.7%0.2%0.1%
2021 61.9%36.1%1.3%0.3%0.2%
2022 61.5%35.2%2.1%0.6%0.4%
2023 61.5%33.7%3.1%0.9%0.5%
2024 61.7%31.5%4.4%1.4%0.7%
2025 61.3%28.5%6.6%2.1%1.1%
2026 60.4%25.8%8.8%2.9%1.7%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Inverclyde

1,040 battery electric cars were licensed in Inverclyde at the end of June 2026, 2.9% of all cars, 63rd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 1,641 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 754.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.5% are battery electric (847 cars), 9th lowest of 32 councils in Scotland. Companies keep 18.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.6% of its cars overall. There are also 60 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, Inverclyde compared, end of March each year
Year InverclydeScotlandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.3%0.4%
2021 0.3%0.7%0.8%
2022 0.6%1.2%1.5%
2023 0.9%1.9%2.3%
2024 1.4%2.5%3.2%
2025 2.1%3.4%4.4%
2026 2.9%4.5%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Inverclyde

There were 187 public chargers in Inverclyde on 1 July 2026, 78 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 237 for every 100,000 residents, 58th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 5.6% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 7.5 privately kept plug-in cars in Inverclyde (UK 12.9), 47th 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 Inverclyde by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 17776
Apr 2026 18677
Jul 2026 18778

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Inverclyde compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Inverclyde 23799
Scotland 23259
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Road traffic and collisions in Inverclyde

Vehicles travelled an estimated 326 million miles on roads in Inverclyde in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Inverclyde
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 287
1994 292
1995 297
1996 302
1997 305
1998 309
1999 314
2000 315
2001 321
2002 319
2003 321
2004 326
2005 324
2006 329
2007 333
2008 330
2009 325
2010 316
2011 313
2012 310
2013 309
2014 318
2015 320
2016 328
2017 328
2018 327
2019 335
2020 273
2021 308
2022 327
2023 325
2024 329
2025 326

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Inverclyde, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 3515
2022 3317
2023 3321
2024 4826
2025 3917

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Inverclyde

Unleaded petrol averages 171.4p a litre across 4 filling stations in Inverclyde, 0.1p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Gulf Wemyss Bay Fuel Express Automat Wemyss Bay 169.7p
  2. Tesco Greenock Extra Greenock 170.9p
  3. Tesco Port Glasgow Extra Port Glasgow 170.9p

Every filling station and price in Inverclyde

Roadworks in Inverclyde

The Scottish Road Works Register lists 205 sets of roadworks in Inverclyde, of which 72 are under way and 133 are planned. 60 of them close a road, a lane, a slip road or the hard shoulder. Inverclyde Council is behind the most, 125 of them (61.0%). From the extract of 30 October 2026.

Works most likely to hold you up

  • Smith Street, Greenock

    Road closed Under way, until 5 Aug 2027 Inverclyde Council

    Demolition of Oak Mall and Hector McNeil House

  • Bullring Car Park, Greenock

    Road closed Under way, until 19 Jan 2028 Inverclyde Council

    Facilitate Bullring Junction Works/Improvements

  • Wallace Place, Greenock

    Road closed Under way, until 4 Jul 2027 Inverclyde Council

    Demolition of Oak Mall and Hector McNeil House

  • Hunter Place, Greenock

    Road closed Under way, until 4 Jul 2027 Inverclyde Council

    Demolition of Oak Mall and Hector McNeil House

  • Dalrymple Street, Greenock

    Road closed Under way, until 4 Jul 2027 Inverclyde Council

    Enabling Advance Works for LUF project (Bullring Removal)

  • Footpath From Glasgow Road-A8 To Glasgow Road At Newark, Port Glasgow

    Road closed Under way, until 11 Nov 2026 Inverclyde Council

    Connection to Culvert

  • Dunrod Road, Inverkip

    Road closed Under way, until 11 Jan 2027 Inverclyde Council

    Emergency Road Closure for landslip

  • Robert Street, Port Glasgow

    Road closed Under way, until 17 Feb 2027 Inverclyde Council

    Emergency Road closure due to dangerous buildings demolition works

  • Wallace Place, Greenock

    Road closed Under way, until 31 Jul 2027 Inverclyde Council

    Road closure to facilitate Bullring junction works/ improvements

  • Hunter Place, Greenock

    Road closed Under way, until 31 Jul 2027 Inverclyde Council

    Road closure to facilitate Bullring junction works/ improvements

Who is digging

  • Inverclyde Council 125
  • SGN 20
  • Scottish Water 19
  • BT 16
  • SP Energy Networks 16

How traffic is managed

  • Give and take 66
  • Road closed 55
  • No obstruction 39
  • Temporary traffic lights 27
  • Footway only 11

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 Inverclyde compares

Inverclyde compared with Scotland, the UK
Inverclyde 426 2.9% 2.5% 5.6% 237 7.5
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 Inverclyde

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Inverclyde, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 41.7% at Greenock.

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 40,392 licensed vehicles in Inverclyde 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 1,805 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 Inverclyde 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.