Yorkshire and the Humber · Metropolitan borough
Leeds motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Leeds, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Leeds compares with the Yorkshire and the Humber. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 442,628 +0.2% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 381 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 58,771 13.3% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.9% 156th highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 1,169 138 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 27.3% UK 9.9%
Company fleets. 27.3% of cars registered in Leeds have a company as their keeper, against 9.9% across the UK. DVLA counts company cars at the company’s registered address, so leasing and rental fleets land where those firms are based and move when they move. The figures for privately kept cars are the better guide to local drivers.
How many cars are there in Leeds?
There were 442,628 licensed cars in Leeds at the end of March 2026, and 528,270 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 31.8% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 381 for every 1,000 residents, 59th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Leeds
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 393,420 | 335,919 |
| 2011 | 395,506 | 339,736 |
| 2012 | 400,172 | 343,249 |
| 2013 | 405,046 | 347,544 |
| 2014 | 377,944 | 323,030 |
| 2015 | 384,248 | 327,119 |
| 2016 | 405,204 | 343,898 |
| 2017 | 433,386 | 371,274 |
| 2018 | 450,062 | 385,374 |
| 2019 | 470,827 | 402,776 |
| 2020 | 485,541 | 416,223 |
| 2021 | 476,397 | 406,174 |
| 2022 | 495,621 | 420,427 |
| 2023 | 511,897 | 435,670 |
| 2024 | 518,253 | 437,355 |
| 2025 | 523,093 | 441,581 |
| 2026 | 528,270 | 442,628 |
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 | Leeds | Yorkshire and the Humber | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 454 | 427 | – |
| 2012 | 455 | 427 | – |
| 2013 | 458 | 429 | – |
| 2014 | 422 | 429 | – |
| 2015 | 429 | 433 | 473 |
| 2016 | 460 | 442 | 480 |
| 2017 | 473 | 450 | 488 |
| 2018 | 490 | 456 | 490 |
| 2019 | 505 | 464 | 493 |
| 2020 | 504 | 463 | 489 |
| 2021 | 508 | 470 | 493 |
| 2022 | 520 | 469 | 489 |
| 2023 | 523 | 469 | 489 |
| 2024 | 518 | 472 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Leeds
45.5% of cars in Leeds run on petrol and 23.7% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 45.6% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 11.0%, and cars that plug in 19.3%.
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 | 64.8% | 34.8% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 62.6% | 36.9% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 60.1% | 39.2% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 57.9% | 41.3% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 60.1% | 39.1% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 58.6% | 40.6% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2016 | 55.6% | 43.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2017 | 52.7% | 45.5% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| 2018 | 52.0% | 45.6% | 1.4% | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| 2019 | 53.1% | 43.8% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 1.1% |
| 2020 | 54.7% | 40.8% | 2.3% | 0.7% | 1.4% |
| 2021 | 55.3% | 36.8% | 3.3% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| 2022 | 53.8% | 32.7% | 5.0% | 4.2% | 3.2% |
| 2023 | 52.0% | 29.3% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 3.8% |
| 2024 | 50.2% | 27.2% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 4.7% |
| 2025 | 47.8% | 25.2% | 9.6% | 11.2% | 5.3% |
| 2026 | 45.5% | 23.7% | 11.0% | 13.3% | 6.0% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Leeds
58,771 battery electric cars were licensed in Leeds at the end of March 2026, 13.3% of all cars, 12th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 85,442 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 49,269.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.9% are battery electric (9,323 cars), 5th highest of 15 councils in the Yorkshire and the Humber. Companies keep 84.1% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 27.3% of its cars overall. There are also 2,816 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 | Leeds | Yorkshire and the Humber | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 4.2% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 6.8% | 2.0% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 8.7% | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 11.2% | 3.9% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 13.3% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Leeds
There were 1,169 public chargers in Leeds on 1 July 2026, 300 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 138 for every 100,000 residents, 179th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 9.3% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 13.7 privately kept plug-in cars in Leeds (UK 11.9), 146th fewest 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 | 1,070 | 230 |
| Apr 2026 | 1,135 | 258 |
| Jul 2026 | 1,169 | 300 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Leeds | 138 | 36 |
| West Yorkshire | 106 | 38 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 111 | 37 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Leeds has 107 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.5% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 5.3%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds 006 | 5,211 | 277 | 5.3% | |
| Leeds 016 | 3,609 | 191 | 5.3% | |
| Leeds 007 | 4,936 | 247 | 5.0% | |
| Leeds 022 | 3,793 | 178 | 4.7% | |
| Leeds 020 | 3,001 | 138 | 4.6% | |
| Leeds 001 | 4,494 | 203 | 4.5% | |
| Leeds 021 | 3,231 | 146 | 4.5% | |
| Leeds 032 | 2,667 | 119 | 4.5% | |
| Leeds 024 | 3,057 | 136 | 4.4% | |
| Leeds 008 | 4,522 | 193 | 4.3% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Leeds 086 | 1,917 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Leeds 065 | 2,115 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Leeds 054 | 821 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Leeds 053 | 1,972 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Leeds 048 | 2,273 | 0 | 0.0% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 13 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.
Road traffic and collisions in Leeds
Vehicles travelled an estimated 4,230 million miles on roads in Leeds in 2025.
Traffic on all roads
| Year | Million vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 3,247 |
| 1994 | 3,311 |
| 1995 | 3,383 |
| 1996 | 3,463 |
| 1997 | 3,549 |
| 1998 | 3,660 |
| 1999 | 3,649 |
| 2000 | 3,656 |
| 2001 | 3,682 |
| 2002 | 3,774 |
| 2003 | 3,817 |
| 2004 | 3,894 |
| 2005 | 3,843 |
| 2006 | 3,873 |
| 2007 | 3,914 |
| 2008 | 3,883 |
| 2009 | 3,776 |
| 2010 | 3,745 |
| 2011 | 3,775 |
| 2012 | 3,752 |
| 2013 | 3,763 |
| 2014 | 3,909 |
| 2015 | 4,041 |
| 2016 | 4,218 |
| 2017 | 4,255 |
| 2018 | 4,263 |
| 2019 | 4,342 |
| 2020 | 3,445 |
| 2021 | 3,784 |
| 2022 | 4,068 |
| 2023 | 4,162 |
| 2024 | 4,178 |
| 2025 | 4,230 |
Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,391 | 380 |
| 2022 | 1,585 | 503 |
| 2023 | 1,464 | 442 |
| 2024 | 1,463 | 424 |
| 2025 | 1,395 | 426 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Leeds
Unleaded petrol averages 169.3p a litre across 77 filling stations in Leeds, 2.4p below the UK average. Diesel averages 193.1p, 1.5p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Costco Wholesale Leeds Leeds 160.9p
- Sainsbury's White Rose Leeds 163.9p
- Asda Morley Superstore Morley 164.7p
How Leeds compares
| Leeds | 381 | 13.3% | 138 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Yorkshire | 410 | 7.0% | 106 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 437 | 5.0% | 111 |
| 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 West Yorkshire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Leeds | 381 | 13.3% | 138 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirklees | 440 | 3.3% | 61 |
| Wakefield | 458 | 3.3% | 98 |
| Calderdale | 438 | 3.1% | 101 |
| Bradford | 386 | 2.9% | 99 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 528,270 licensed vehicles in Leeds | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 89,491 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 Leeds 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.