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Lewes motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
64,306 licensed vehicles in Lewes
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 52,448 +0.7% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 493 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 1,965 3.7% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.2% 159th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 143 140 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 3.8% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Lewes?

There were 52,448 licensed cars in Lewes at the end of June 2026, and 64,306 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 9.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 493 for every 1,000 residents, 178th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Lewes

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Lewes at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 57,86447,993
2011 57,56648,090
2012 58,05148,328
2013 58,45548,755
2014 60,05549,894
2015 60,64750,306
2016 61,29950,864
2017 62,55951,638
2018 61,24350,465
2019 61,76550,805
2020 60,98750,192
2021 63,30351,173
2022 62,79851,130
2023 63,07151,352
2024 63,75051,915
2025 63,92752,105
2026 64,30652,448

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, Lewes compared
Year LewesSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 493534–
2012 491535–
2013 491541–
2014 501547–
2015 505551473
2016 508559480
2017 514567488
2018 502570490
2019 504572493
2020 500561489
2021 511564493
2022 508565489
2023 505567489
2024 507570490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Lewes

60.3% of cars in Lewes run on petrol and 25.0% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 33.1% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 9.0%, and cars that plug in 5.5%.

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 Lewes, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 75.9%23.6%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2011 74.4%25.1%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 72.7%26.7%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2013 71.2%28.1%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2014 68.9%30.4%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2015 67.8%31.3%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2016 66.4%32.5%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2017 65.5%33.1%1.0%0.1%0.2%
2018 66.8%31.4%1.3%0.2%0.2%
2019 66.8%30.9%1.6%0.3%0.3%
2020 66.6%30.5%2.0%0.4%0.4%
2021 65.7%30.3%2.6%0.7%0.6%
2022 64.8%29.6%3.5%1.1%0.8%
2023 63.8%28.9%4.6%1.5%1.0%
2024 62.6%27.9%5.9%2.0%1.2%
2025 61.6%26.4%7.5%2.8%1.5%
2026 60.3%25.0%9.0%3.7%1.7%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Lewes

1,965 battery electric cars were licensed in Lewes at the end of June 2026, 3.7% of all cars, 162nd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,881 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,460.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.2% are battery electric (1,620 cars), 29th lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 17.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.8% of its cars overall. There are also 92 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, Lewes compared, end of March each year
Year LewesSouth EastUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.3%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.4%0.5%0.4%
2021 0.7%1.1%0.8%
2022 1.1%2.2%1.5%
2023 1.5%3.3%2.3%
2024 2.0%4.5%3.2%
2025 2.8%6.4%4.4%
2026 3.7%9.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Lewes

There were 143 public chargers in Lewes on 1 July 2026, 13 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 140 for every 100,000 residents, 180th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 4.0% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 17.4 privately kept plug-in cars in Lewes (UK 12.9), 179th 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 Lewes by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 14911
Apr 2026 15113
Jul 2026 14313

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Lewes compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Lewes 14013
East Sussex 10127
South East 15940
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Lewes has 13 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.4%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Lewes with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Lewes 002 7,002 311 4.4% 6.9%
Lewes 005 3,263 112 3.4% 4.6%
Lewes 001 6,132 202 3.3% 5.6%
Lewes 004 4,611 137 3.0% 4.3%
Lewes 003 4,360 125 2.9% 4.1%
Lewes 012 5,086 148 2.9% 4.4%
Lewes 011 5,904 164 2.8% 4.2%
Lewes 006 4,095 102 2.5% 4.0%
Lewes 010 4,382 104 2.4% 3.5%
Lewes 007 4,417 87 2.0% 3.3%
Lowest electric shares
Lewes 009 2,982 44 1.5% 2.2%
Lewes 013 3,115 50 1.6% 2.9%
Lewes 008 3,863 72 1.9% 2.5%
Lewes 007 4,417 87 2.0% 3.3%
Lewes 010 4,382 104 2.4% 3.5%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Lewes

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Lewes, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 19058
2022 20962
2023 18365
2024 17257
2025 20661

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Lewes

Unleaded petrol averages 171.1p a litre across 12 filling stations in Lewes, 0.4p below the UK average. Diesel averages 198.9p, 0.2p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. MFG Morrisons Seaford Seaford 168.9p
  2. Esso MFG Peacehaven Peacehaven 168.9p
  3. Sainsbury's Newhaven Newhaven 168.9p

Every filling station and price in Lewes

How Lewes compares

Lewes compared with East Sussex, the South East, England, the UK
Lewes 493 3.7% 3.2% 3.8% 140 17.4
East Sussex 511 3.4% 2.9% 4.3% 101 23.2
South East 499 9.3% 3.5% 18.5% 159 17.7
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 Lewes

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in Lewes. The nearest centres are elsewhere in East Sussex.

Centres in East Sussex:

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 East Sussex

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

Councils in East Sussex
Wealden 600 3.9% 3.4% 3.4% 115 28.1
Lewes 493 3.7% 3.2% 3.8% 140 17.4
Rother 551 3.2% 2.8% 3.9% 67 38.3
Eastbourne 428 2.9% 2.2% 6.9% 116 13.0
Hastings 417 2.5% 2.0% 4.8% 52 26.5

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 64,306 licensed vehicles in Lewes 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 3,017 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 Lewes 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.