England · Region of England
North West motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in the North West, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how the North West compares with England. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 3,768,668 +1.7% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 430 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 248,577 6.6% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.1% UK 3.1%
- Public chargers 8,678 112 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 11.7% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in the North West?
There were 3,768,668 licensed cars in the North West at the end of June 2026, and 4,572,423 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 20.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 430 for every 1,000 residents (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in the North West
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 3,728,757 | 3,136,009 |
| 2011 | 3,593,421 | 3,029,493 |
| 2012 | 3,572,357 | 3,011,400 |
| 2013 | 3,604,449 | 3,039,771 |
| 2014 | 3,664,515 | 3,089,443 |
| 2015 | 3,704,340 | 3,122,867 |
| 2016 | 3,766,570 | 3,166,295 |
| 2017 | 3,814,746 | 3,203,531 |
| 2018 | 3,862,501 | 3,243,154 |
| 2019 | 3,933,418 | 3,300,677 |
| 2020 | 3,912,720 | 3,293,432 |
| 2021 | 4,265,439 | 3,538,122 |
| 2022 | 4,289,195 | 3,554,641 |
| 2023 | 4,350,398 | 3,606,389 |
| 2024 | 4,425,718 | 3,667,841 |
| 2025 | 4,477,132 | 3,705,075 |
| 2026 | 4,572,423 | 3,768,668 |
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.
| Year | North West | England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 429 | 457 | – |
| 2012 | 425 | 455 | – |
| 2013 | 428 | 458 | – |
| 2014 | 433 | 463 | – |
| 2015 | 435 | 466 | 473 |
| 2016 | 438 | 471 | 480 |
| 2017 | 440 | 478 | 488 |
| 2018 | 443 | 480 | 490 |
| 2019 | 448 | 483 | 493 |
| 2020 | 446 | 477 | 489 |
| 2021 | 477 | 482 | 493 |
| 2022 | 472 | 478 | 489 |
| 2023 | 472 | 477 | 489 |
| 2024 | 474 | 478 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in the North West
52.0% of cars in the North West run on petrol and 28.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 38.4% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 9.2%, and cars that plug in 10.1%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.3% | 28.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 70.9% | 28.7% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 69.2% | 30.4% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 67.4% | 32.1% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 65.5% | 33.9% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 63.7% | 35.6% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 62.0% | 37.1% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 61.0% | 37.9% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 60.2% | 38.4% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 60.0% | 38.4% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 59.7% | 38.3% | 1.5% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 57.6% | 38.2% | 2.2% | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| 2022 | 56.8% | 36.7% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| 2023 | 56.0% | 34.9% | 4.1% | 2.9% | 1.7% |
| 2024 | 54.8% | 32.8% | 5.6% | 4.1% | 2.3% |
| 2025 | 53.6% | 30.7% | 7.2% | 5.3% | 2.8% |
| 2026 | 52.0% | 28.3% | 9.2% | 6.6% | 3.5% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in the North West
248,577 battery electric cars were licensed in the North West at the end of June 2026, 6.6% of all cars. With plug-in hybrids, 381,230 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 196,987.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.1% are battery electric (102,946 cars). Companies keep 58.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 11.7% of its cars overall. There are also 13,439 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 | North West | England | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 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 | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | 2.5% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 4.1% | 3.5% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 5.3% | 4.7% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 6.6% | 6.2% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in the North West
There were 8,678 public chargers in the North West on 1 July 2026, 3,098 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 112 for every 100,000 residents, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 19.4% from 1 January 2025.
For every public charger there are 18.9 privately kept plug-in cars in the North West (UK 12.9). 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 2025 | 7,271 | 2,263 |
| Apr 2025 | 7,395 | 2,358 |
| Jul 2025 | 7,804 | 2,543 |
| Oct 2025 | 8,142 | 2,724 |
| Jan 2026 | 8,120 | 2,853 |
| Apr 2026 | 8,376 | 2,929 |
| Jul 2026 | 8,678 | 3,098 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 112 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in North West
Unleaded petrol averages 171.8p a litre across 613 filling stations in North West, 0.3p above the UK average. Diesel averages 198.1p, 0.6p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Gordale Service Station Neston 153.9p
- Costco Wholesale Chester Chester 156.9p
- Costco Wholesale Manchester Manchester 158.9p
How the North West compares
| North West | 430 | 6.6% | 112 |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 440 | 6.2% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 444 | 5.8% | 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 June 2026.
Driving test centres in the North West
There are 12 DVSA car practical test centres in the North West, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 69.6% at Barrow In Furness.
- Barrow In Furness 69.6% pass rate, 2025/26
- Kendal (Oxenholme Road) 65.1% pass rate, 2025/26
- Workington 61.9% pass rate, 2025/26
- Heysham 59.2% pass rate, 2025/26
- Carlisle 58.7% pass rate, 2025/26
- Northwich 57.6% pass rate, 2025/26
- Southport (Liverpool) 56.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Preston 56.3% pass rate, 2025/26
- Bredbury (Manchester) 56.0% pass rate, 2025/26
- Warrington 55.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Wallasey 54.3% pass rate, 2025/26
- Chorley 52.8% pass rate, 2025/26
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 the North West
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Stockport | 467 | 24.6% | 115 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire West and Chester | 510 | 20.0% | 111 |
| Halton | 460 | 6.3% | 67 |
| Bury | 432 | 5.6% | 55 |
| Cheshire East | 532 | 5.2% | 123 |
| Salford | 332 | 4.9% | 96 |
| Warrington | 512 | 4.8% | 160 |
| Chorley | 506 | 4.7% | 124 |
| Ribble Valley | 546 | 4.7% | 123 |
| Trafford | 450 | 4.7% | 189 |
| West Lancashire | 491 | 4.7% | 76 |
| Knowsley | 383 | 4.6% | 57 |
| South Ribble | 527 | 4.4% | 167 |
| Fylde | 533 | 4.3% | 133 |
| Wyre | 508 | 4.0% | 136 |
| Preston | 396 | 3.9% | 79 |
| St Helens | 453 | 3.8% | 72 |
| Wirral | 455 | 3.8% | 71 |
| Manchester | 282 | 3.7% | 128 |
| Sefton | 427 | 3.7% | 61 |
| Wigan | 457 | 3.7% | 76 |
| Bolton | 411 | 3.5% | 55 |
| Liverpool | 304 | 3.5% | 196 |
| Rossendale | 476 | 3.5% | 179 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 394 | 3.4% | 79 |
| Rochdale | 406 | 3.4% | 72 |
| Lancaster | 438 | 3.3% | 135 |
| Oldham | 381 | 3.1% | 71 |
| Tameside | 414 | 3.1% | 59 |
| Hyndburn | 421 | 2.9% | 58 |
| Blackpool | 386 | 2.8% | 111 |
| Burnley | 393 | 2.8% | 108 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 516 | 2.8% | 266 |
| Cumberland | 508 | 2.6% | 157 |
| Pendle | 425 | 2.5% | 63 |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 4,572,423 licensed vehicles in North West | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 399,041 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 |
- Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in the North West 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.
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.