South East · District council
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.
- Licensed cars 52,080 +0.3% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 489 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 1,801 3.5% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.9% 156th highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 143 140 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 3.8% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in Lewes?
There were 52,080 licensed cars in Lewes at the end of March 2026, and 63,652 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 9.5% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 489 for every 1,000 residents, 178th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Lewes
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 57,147 | 47,567 |
| 2011 | 57,180 | 47,827 |
| 2012 | 57,587 | 48,076 |
| 2013 | 57,741 | 48,278 |
| 2014 | 59,155 | 49,381 |
| 2015 | 60,009 | 50,044 |
| 2016 | 61,043 | 50,831 |
| 2017 | 62,094 | 51,447 |
| 2018 | 60,516 | 50,023 |
| 2019 | 61,335 | 50,589 |
| 2020 | 61,476 | 50,775 |
| 2021 | 62,376 | 50,715 |
| 2022 | 63,157 | 51,082 |
| 2023 | 62,617 | 51,057 |
| 2024 | 63,236 | 51,622 |
| 2025 | 63,478 | 51,924 |
| 2026 | 63,652 | 52,080 |
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 | Lewes | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 493 | 534 | – |
| 2012 | 491 | 535 | – |
| 2013 | 491 | 541 | – |
| 2014 | 501 | 547 | – |
| 2015 | 505 | 551 | 473 |
| 2016 | 508 | 559 | 480 |
| 2017 | 514 | 567 | 488 |
| 2018 | 502 | 570 | 490 |
| 2019 | 504 | 572 | 493 |
| 2020 | 500 | 561 | 489 |
| 2021 | 511 | 564 | 493 |
| 2022 | 508 | 565 | 489 |
| 2023 | 505 | 567 | 489 |
| 2024 | 507 | 570 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Lewes
60.5% of cars in Lewes run on petrol and 25.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 33.1% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.6%, and cars that plug in 5.1%.
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 | 76.3% | 23.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 74.7% | 24.8% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 73.1% | 26.4% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 71.6% | 27.8% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 69.2% | 30.1% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 68.0% | 31.2% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 66.7% | 32.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 65.6% | 33.1% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 66.9% | 31.4% | 1.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2019 | 66.7% | 31.1% | 1.5% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2020 | 66.5% | 30.7% | 1.9% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 65.8% | 30.5% | 2.4% | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| 2022 | 65.0% | 29.9% | 3.2% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 2023 | 64.1% | 29.1% | 4.3% | 1.4% | 0.9% |
| 2024 | 62.9% | 28.2% | 5.6% | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| 2025 | 61.7% | 26.8% | 7.2% | 2.6% | 1.4% |
| 2026 | 60.5% | 25.5% | 8.6% | 3.5% | 1.7% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Lewes
1,801 battery electric cars were licensed in Lewes at the end of March 2026, 3.5% of all cars, 181st lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,679 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,350.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.9% are battery electric (1,462 cars), 29th lowest of 64 councils in the South East. Companies keep 18.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 3.8% of its cars overall. There are also 85 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 | Lewes | South East | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | 3.0% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.9% | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 2.6% | 5.7% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 3.5% | 8.7% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 15.1 privately kept plug-in cars in Lewes (UK 11.9), 171st 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 | 149 | 11 |
| Apr 2026 | 151 | 13 |
| Jul 2026 | 143 | 13 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Lewes | 140 | 13 |
| East Sussex | 101 | 27 |
| South East | 159 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
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, 2.4% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.0%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewes 002 | 6,873 | 278 | 4.0% | |
| Lewes 005 | 3,254 | 107 | 3.3% | |
| Lewes 001 | 6,086 | 191 | 3.1% | |
| Lewes 004 | 4,559 | 128 | 2.8% | |
| Lewes 003 | 4,306 | 115 | 2.7% | |
| Lewes 012 | 5,030 | 134 | 2.7% | |
| Lewes 011 | 5,868 | 143 | 2.4% | |
| Lewes 006 | 4,059 | 92 | 2.3% | |
| Lewes 010 | 4,351 | 94 | 2.2% | |
| Lewes 007 | 4,375 | 76 | 1.7% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Lewes 009 | 2,945 | 37 | 1.3% | |
| Lewes 013 | 3,058 | 44 | 1.4% | |
| Lewes 008 | 3,814 | 61 | 1.6% | |
| Lewes 007 | 4,375 | 76 | 1.7% | |
| Lewes 010 | 4,351 | 94 | 2.2% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in Lewes
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 190 | 58 |
| 2022 | 209 | 62 |
| 2023 | 183 | 65 |
| 2024 | 172 | 57 |
| 2025 | 206 | 61 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Lewes
Unleaded petrol averages 170.5p a litre across 16 filling stations in Lewes, 1.2p below the UK average. Diesel averages 193.3p, 1.3p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Sainsbury's Newhaven Newhaven 163.9p
- Valero Newhaven 163.9p
- MFG Morrisons Seaford Seaford 164.9p
How Lewes compares
| Lewes | 489 | 3.5% | 140 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 63,652 licensed vehicles in Lewes | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 2,805 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 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.
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.