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Luton motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
106,501 licensed vehicles in Luton
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 94,534 +2.0% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 375 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 2,449 2.6% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.1% 76th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 155 65 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.1% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Luton?

There were 94,534 licensed cars in Luton at the end of March 2026, and 106,501 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 25.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 375 for every 1,000 residents, 53rd lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Luton

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Luton at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 86,14375,110
2011 86,11375,242
2012 85,39574,742
2013 85,59975,003
2014 86,97276,272
2015 89,07778,305
2016 92,38281,258
2017 94,01882,977
2018 94,14683,161
2019 95,57884,545
2020 96,58185,806
2021 97,14185,918
2022 98,46186,877
2023 100,49488,821
2024 102,99091,090
2025 104,61892,661
2026 106,50194,534

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.

Cars per 1,000 residents at mid-year, Luton compared
Year LutonEast of EnglandUnited Kingdom
2011 370503–
2012 364502–
2013 361505–
2014 363524–
2015 364529473
2016 370537480
2017 377544488
2018 377542490
2019 381541493
2020 378536489
2021 386539493
2022 384532489
2023 384529489
2024 384531490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Luton

52.6% of cars in Luton run on petrol and 31.9% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.0% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.3%, and cars that plug in 4.8%.

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.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Luton, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 78.7%20.9%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 76.6%22.9%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 74.5%24.9%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 72.3%27.0%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2014 70.1%28.9%0.8%0.0%0.0%
2015 67.5%31.2%1.0%0.0%0.0%
2016 64.8%33.4%1.5%0.0%0.1%
2017 62.2%35.5%1.9%0.1%0.1%
2018 60.1%37.2%2.3%0.1%0.1%
2019 58.9%37.8%2.8%0.1%0.2%
2020 57.5%38.5%3.4%0.1%0.3%
2021 56.3%39.0%3.9%0.2%0.4%
2022 55.3%38.8%4.7%0.4%0.6%
2023 54.6%37.8%5.9%0.7%0.7%
2024 54.3%35.9%7.2%1.1%1.1%
2025 53.7%33.9%8.6%1.8%1.6%
2026 52.6%31.9%10.3%2.6%2.2%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Luton

2,449 battery electric cars were licensed in Luton at the end of March 2026, 2.6% of all cars, 57th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,563 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,665.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.1% are battery electric (1,859 cars), 8th lowest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 24.1% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.1% of its cars overall. There are also 70 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, Luton compared, end of March each year
Year LutonEast of EnglandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.0%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.1%0.3%0.3%
2021 0.2%0.6%0.7%
2022 0.4%1.1%1.3%
2023 0.7%1.7%2.1%
2024 1.1%2.6%3.0%
2025 1.8%3.8%4.1%
2026 2.6%5.2%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Luton

There were 155 public chargers in Luton on 1 July 2026, 63 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 65 for every 100,000 residents, 26th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 4.0% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 25.1 privately kept plug-in cars in Luton (UK 11.9), 65th 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 Luton by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 14961
Apr 2026 14961
Jul 2026 15563

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Luton compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Luton 6526
East of England 15049
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Luton has 22 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.0%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Luton with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Luton 007 5,305 160 3.0% 5.7%
Luton 016 5,869 160 2.7% 4.6%
Luton 001 5,009 126 2.5% 4.6%
Luton 012 5,386 127 2.4% 4.2%
Luton 004 3,462 79 2.3% 4.5%
Luton 006 5,861 134 2.3% 4.4%
Luton 014 5,532 130 2.3% 4.0%
Luton 002 3,556 74 2.1% 3.8%
Luton 005 4,925 98 2.0% 3.9%
Luton 013 3,954 76 1.9% 4.0%
Lowest electric shares
Luton 022 3,107 18 0.6% 3.0%
Luton 019 3,114 21 0.7% 2.7%
Luton 017 3,306 27 0.8% 3.6%
Luton 021 4,607 53 1.2% 2.7%
Luton 003 3,608 44 1.2% 3.0%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 1 neighbourhood is left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Luton

Vehicles travelled an estimated 517 million miles on roads in Luton in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Luton
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 440
1994 446
1995 453
1996 461
1997 468
1998 480
1999 487
2000 476
2001 479
2002 500
2003 500
2004 488
2005 477
2006 461
2007 496
2008 484
2009 482
2010 468
2011 477
2012 462
2013 472
2014 486
2015 499
2016 498
2017 511
2018 517
2019 513
2020 401
2021 443
2022 493
2023 507
2024 509
2025 517

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Luton, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 34664
2022 42974
2023 38566
2024 37564
2025 35463

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Luton

Unleaded petrol averages 172.4p a litre across 17 filling stations in Luton, 0.7p above the UK average. Diesel averages 196.7p, 2.1p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Valero Barton Road Service Station Luton 165.9p
  2. Sainsbury's Bramingham Park Luton 168.9p
  3. BP Streatley Sf Connect Luton 168.9p

Every filling station and price in Luton

How Luton compares

Luton compared with the East of England, England, the UK
Luton 375 2.6% 2.1% 5.1% 65 25.1
East of England 497 5.2% 2.9% 8.6% 150 15.7
England 437 5.8% 2.9% 10.6% 173 12.4
United Kingdom4415.4%2.8%9.9%17511.9

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 March 2026.

Councils in the East of England

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

Councils in the East of England
Peterborough 427 28.7% 2.3% 59.8% 129 12.8
South Cambridgeshire 543 5.5% 4.9% 3.5% 205 17.9
Hertsmere 467 5.4% 4.1% 6.5% 229 15.8
St Albans 500 5.4% 4.6% 3.7% 111 41.3
Three Rivers 511 4.8% 3.9% 4.2% 161 16.7
Cambridge 270 4.7% 4.0% 3.8% 313 5.8
Huntingdonshire 545 4.6% 3.5% 8.4% 175 18.8
North Hertfordshire 512 4.4% 3.6% 4.3% 117 27.6
Uttlesford 588 4.4% 3.8% 12.4% 164 22.5
Central Bedfordshire 539 4.3% 3.6% 4.4% 168 15.3
Bedford 481 4.1% 3.2% 6.8% 149 16.3
East Hertfordshire 526 4.1% 3.4% 4.0% 135 22.2
Epping Forest 497 4.1% 3.3% 5.2% 126 24.6
Welwyn Hatfield 455 4.1% 3.3% 5.4% 350 6.5
East Cambridgeshire 562 4.0% 3.5% 3.7% 90 29.8
Dacorum 505 3.9% 3.2% 4.0% 159 17.1
Watford 397 3.9% 2.9% 5.2% 563 3.2
Brentwood 499 3.8% 2.9% 4.6% 97 33.7
Basildon 459 3.7% 2.3% 12.1% 62 35.9
Chelmsford 502 3.7% 3.1% 4.7% 105 25.7
South Norfolk 568 3.6% 3.1% 4.1% 131 18.5
Mid Suffolk 605 3.5% 2.9% 4.6% 135 19.8
Broadland 571 3.3% 2.8% 3.9% 116 22.1
Colchester 471 3.3% 2.6% 4.6% 90 22.2
Maldon 598 3.2% 2.6% 3.6% 61 50.6
Breckland 553 3.1% 2.4% 4.3% 114 18.4
Broxbourne 484 3.1% 2.5% 4.6% 153 14.8
Thurrock 455 3.1% 2.4% 5.2% 115 19.3
Babergh 584 3.0% 2.6% 3.2% 164 14.1
Braintree 533 3.0% 2.4% 4.0% 89 23.4
East Suffolk 547 3.0% 2.4% 4.3% 143 16.0
Harlow 442 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 74 22.8
Rochford 549 3.0% 2.6% 4.1% 76 32.5
King's Lynn and West Norfolk 535 2.9% 2.3% 4.1% 172 12.1
West Suffolk 544 2.9% 2.4% 4.5% 236 10.6
Stevenage 449 2.8% 2.2% 4.3% 194 8.6
Fenland 535 2.7% 2.1% 4.3% 53 34.3
Norwich 350 2.7% 1.6% 5.7% 196 4.7
Luton 375 2.6% 2.1% 5.1% 65 25.1
North Norfolk 569 2.6% 2.2% 3.5% 225 8.0
Tendring 509 2.6% 2.0% 4.9% 84 20.0
Castle Point 531 2.5% 2.0% 3.8% 42 49.8
Ipswich 444 2.5% 1.7% 4.9% 294 4.9
Southend-on-Sea 428 2.5% 2.0% 3.9% 51 29.2
Great Yarmouth 470 2.3% 1.7% 4.7% 211 6.3

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 106,501 licensed vehicles in Luton 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 4,711 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 Luton 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.