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Lewisham motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
83,443 licensed vehicles in Lewisham
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 74,381 +0.8% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 233 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 2,676 3.6% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.1% 172nd highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 400 133 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.6% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Lewisham?

There were 74,381 licensed cars in Lewisham at the end of June 2026, and 83,443 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 0.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 233 for every 1,000 residents, 14th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Lewisham

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Lewisham at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 85,32074,122
2011 84,23773,114
2012 82,56772,228
2013 82,90472,472
2014 84,32473,600
2015 84,91674,583
2016 86,70576,118
2017 87,93077,301
2018 87,86877,344
2019 87,27576,981
2020 85,52975,967
2021 86,64776,818
2022 84,27374,717
2023 83,19973,799
2024 82,76573,664
2025 82,69173,759
2026 83,44374,381

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, Lewisham compared
Year LewishamLondonUnited Kingdom
2011 264313–
2012 257307–
2013 253303–
2014 253303–
2015 253303473
2016 255304480
2017 257306488
2018 255303490
2019 252301493
2020 250296489
2021 256300493
2022 250295489
2023 246290489
2024 245287490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Lewisham

70.6% of cars in Lewisham run on petrol and 12.0% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 27.6% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.5%, and cars that plug in 6.6%.

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 Lewisham, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 84.3%15.2%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2011 82.5%16.9%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 80.8%18.5%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2013 78.9%20.3%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2014 76.8%22.1%0.8%0.0%0.0%
2015 74.5%24.1%1.1%0.0%0.0%
2016 72.3%26.0%1.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 70.7%27.2%1.8%0.1%0.1%
2018 69.7%27.6%2.2%0.1%0.2%
2019 70.6%26.0%2.7%0.2%0.4%
2020 71.7%24.2%3.1%0.3%0.6%
2021 73.6%20.8%4.0%0.6%0.9%
2022 76.0%16.4%5.2%1.1%1.2%
2023 75.7%14.9%6.1%1.6%1.4%
2024 74.7%13.7%7.4%2.2%1.8%
2025 72.7%12.7%8.9%3.1%2.3%
2026 70.6%12.0%10.5%3.6%3.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Lewisham

2,676 battery electric cars were licensed in Lewisham at the end of June 2026, 3.6% of all cars, 153rd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,890 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,262.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.1% are battery electric (2,143 cars), 7th lowest of 33 councils in London. Companies keep 19.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.6% of its cars overall. There are also 142 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, Lewisham compared, end of March each year
Year LewishamLondonUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.3%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.5%0.4%
2021 0.6%1.1%0.8%
2022 1.1%2.0%1.5%
2023 1.6%3.2%2.3%
2024 2.2%4.5%3.2%
2025 3.1%5.7%4.4%
2026 3.6%7.0%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Lewisham

There were 400 public chargers in Lewisham on 1 July 2026, 104 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 133 for every 100,000 residents, 160th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 27.0% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 10.5 privately kept plug-in cars in Lewisham (UK 12.9), 87th 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 Lewisham by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 31588
Apr 2026 34591
Jul 2026 400104

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Lewisham compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Lewisham 13335
London 34528
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Lewisham has 37 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.9% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Lewisham with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Lewisham 021 2,283 113 4.9% 8.6%
Lewisham 007 2,077 84 4.0% 8.1%
Lewisham 009 1,807 70 3.9% 7.1%
Lewisham 024 2,288 86 3.8% 6.8%
Lewisham 025 2,486 86 3.5% 6.9%
Lewisham 001 2,057 67 3.3% 6.4%
Lewisham 023 3,121 104 3.3% 5.7%
Lewisham 027 2,205 72 3.3% 6.7%
Lewisham 013 2,065 66 3.2% 5.9%
Lewisham 026 2,237 71 3.2% 5.6%
Lowest electric shares
Lewisham 017 1,855 37 2.0% 4.7%
Lewisham 031 2,183 45 2.1% 4.2%
Lewisham 030 2,981 69 2.3% 5.1%
Lewisham 035 2,192 52 2.4% 5.2%
Lewisham 029 2,644 63 2.4% 5.3%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 6 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Lewisham

Vehicles travelled an estimated 449 million miles on roads in Lewisham in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Lewisham
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 528
1994 534
1995 537
1996 540
1997 541
1998 543
1999 553
2000 550
2001 551
2002 550
2003 547
2004 531
2005 523
2006 523
2007 524
2008 512
2009 498
2010 486
2011 485
2012 473
2013 462
2014 469
2015 470
2016 490
2017 489
2018 470
2019 479
2020 393
2021 444
2022 443
2023 445
2024 448
2025 449

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Lewisham, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 731107
2022 785112
2023 769103
2024 731132
2025 729146

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Lewisham

Unleaded petrol averages 171.0p a litre across 14 filling stations in Lewisham, 0.5p below the UK average. Diesel averages 201.3p, 2.6p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Esso MFG Loampit Vale Lewisham 167.9p
  2. BP Lee Sf Connect Lewisham 168.9p
  3. Forest Hill Esso Express London 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Lewisham

How Lewisham compares

Lewisham compared with London, England, the UK
Lewisham 233 3.6% 3.1% 5.6% 133 10.5
London 264 7.0% 3.9% 9.8% 345 5.8
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 Lewisham

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in Lewisham. The nearest centres are elsewhere in London.

Centres in London:

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 London

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

Councils in London
Westminster 179 57.9% 7.7% 60.4% 1,378 1.8
City of London 79 24.6% 7.8% 50.4% 443 2.4
Hammersmith and Fulham 199 18.7% 5.2% 22.4% 1,380 1.5
Camden 159 9.7% 7.6% 12.6% 378 5.4
Kensington and Chelsea 239 7.4% 6.7% 8.5% 637 4.7
Brent 232 7.3% 4.0% 12.8% 367 5.1
Barnet 322 6.6% 5.4% 7.2% 288 10.1
Islington 132 6.0% 4.7% 11.6% 386 3.1
Richmond upon Thames 359 5.6% 4.7% 5.6% 642 5.0
Harrow 337 5.5% 4.3% 6.2% 120 22.8
Hillingdon 364 5.4% 3.4% 16.7% 121 20.1
Kingston upon Thames 354 5.2% 4.5% 3.9% 242 11.8
Merton 294 5.2% 4.4% 5.7% 436 5.6
Southwark 162 5.2% 4.3% 8.1% 618 2.1
Wandsworth 214 5.2% 4.4% 5.1% 532 3.6
Tower Hamlets 128 5.0% 3.8% 11.0% 776 1.7
Ealing 274 4.7% 3.6% 7.5% 264 7.6
Redbridge 302 4.7% 3.8% 7.2% 198 11.9
Hackney 138 4.6% 3.4% 10.4% 638 1.6
Haringey 214 4.6% 3.7% 8.9% 135 11.1
Bromley 409 4.5% 3.8% 4.4% 67 42.1
Lambeth 176 4.5% 3.8% 6.6% 244 5.4
Barking and Dagenham 264 4.4% 3.1% 8.6% 100 18.5
Croydon 318 4.3% 3.6% 5.5% 153 13.9
Hounslow 301 4.2% 3.2% 6.8% 233 8.9
Sutton 378 4.2% 3.6% 4.2% 118 20.5
Greenwich 239 4.1% 3.5% 6.3% 101 15.5
Havering 388 3.8% 2.9% 6.1% 95 24.0
Newham 168 3.8% 3.0% 9.3% 159 8.5
Enfield 334 3.6% 2.8% 6.9% 137 14.0
Lewisham 233 3.6% 3.1% 5.6% 133 10.5
Waltham Forest 251 3.6% 2.8% 7.6% 663 2.2
Bexley 382 3.5% 3.0% 6.3% 269 7.9

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 83,443 licensed vehicles in Lewisham 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 5,192 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 Lewisham 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.