My Garage

Popular searches

East Midlands · Unitary authority

Nottingham motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
124,597 licensed vehicles in Nottingham
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 106,894 +2.4% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 299 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 3,668 3.4% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.4% 81st lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 511 154 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 7.5% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Nottingham?

There were 106,894 licensed cars in Nottingham at the end of June 2026, and 124,597 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 26.5% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 299 for every 1,000 residents, 25th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Nottingham

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Nottingham at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 101,34284,475
2011 100,01483,845
2012 99,38783,444
2013 100,12084,699
2014 102,90187,225
2015 104,43388,812
2016 107,03390,816
2017 110,30493,570
2018 111,43094,757
2019 114,28097,058
2020 113,63697,080
2021 116,83599,429
2022 117,32699,837
2023 118,641101,082
2024 120,489102,941
2025 122,157104,391
2026 124,597106,894

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, Nottingham compared
Year NottinghamEast MidlandsUnited Kingdom
2011 276482–
2012 271480–
2013 274485–
2014 281490–
2015 284493473
2016 286496480
2017 292503488
2018 294504490
2019 300509493
2020 301501489
2021 311508493
2022 306505489
2023 309505489
2024 311506490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Nottingham

51.3% of cars in Nottingham run on petrol and 32.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 38.3% in 2022. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.5%, and cars that plug in 5.3%.

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 Nottingham, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 77.3%22.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 75.2%24.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 73.2%26.2%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 71.3%28.0%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2014 69.0%30.1%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2015 66.7%32.2%0.8%0.1%0.0%
2016 64.5%34.2%1.0%0.1%0.1%
2017 62.6%35.8%1.3%0.1%0.1%
2018 61.2%36.7%1.6%0.1%0.2%
2019 60.1%37.4%2.0%0.2%0.2%
2020 59.2%37.7%2.4%0.3%0.3%
2021 57.6%38.2%3.0%0.5%0.5%
2022 56.2%38.3%4.0%0.8%0.6%
2023 54.9%37.9%5.0%1.2%0.8%
2024 54.0%36.3%6.7%1.7%1.0%
2025 52.7%34.6%8.3%2.6%1.4%
2026 51.3%32.5%10.5%3.4%1.9%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Nottingham

3,668 battery electric cars were licensed in Nottingham at the end of June 2026, 3.4% of all cars, 129th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,647 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,712.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.4% are battery electric (2,342 cars), 5th lowest of 35 councils in the East Midlands. Companies keep 36.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 7.5% of its cars overall. There are also 267 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, Nottingham compared, end of March each year
Year NottinghamEast MidlandsUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.5%0.5%0.8%
2022 0.8%0.9%1.5%
2023 1.2%1.4%2.3%
2024 1.7%2.0%3.2%
2025 2.6%3.0%4.4%
2026 3.4%4.3%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Nottingham

There were 511 public chargers in Nottingham on 1 July 2026, 166 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 154 for every 100,000 residents, 154th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 1.5% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 7.6 privately kept plug-in cars in Nottingham (UK 12.9), 49th 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 Nottingham by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 519162
Apr 2026 522166
Jul 2026 511166

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Nottingham compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Nottingham 15450
East Midlands 12247
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Nottingham has 37 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.7% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.8%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Nottingham with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Nottingham 030 4,055 194 4.8% 6.8%
Nottingham 041 5,501 205 3.7% 5.9%
Nottingham 015 3,176 111 3.5% 5.2%
Nottingham 034 3,169 108 3.4% 5.8%
Nottingham 039 1,856 60 3.2% 5.6%
Nottingham 010 3,230 90 2.8% 4.1%
Nottingham 028 1,897 54 2.8% 5.3%
Nottingham 007 3,197 85 2.7% 4.5%
Nottingham 036 2,510 64 2.5% 3.7%
Nottingham 014 2,828 68 2.4% 4.3%
Lowest electric shares
Nottingham 022 1,043 0 0.0% 1.9%
Nottingham 018 2,300 0 0.0% 1.1%
Nottingham 013 3,136 15 0.5% 1.9%
Nottingham 026 2,521 14 0.6% 1.6%
Nottingham 020 2,801 26 0.9% 2.9%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Nottingham

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,073 million miles on roads in Nottingham in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Nottingham
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 877
1994 890
1995 902
1996 910
1997 916
1998 929
1999 940
2000 937
2001 940
2002 957
2003 963
2004 971
2005 974
2006 981
2007 980
2008 972
2009 977
2010 957
2011 962
2012 960
2013 951
2014 967
2015 973
2016 983
2017 1,006
2018 1,024
2019 1,057
2020 885
2021 944
2022 1,041
2023 1,051
2024 1,070
2025 1,073

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Nottingham, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 652159
2022 679148
2023 724174
2024 761167
2025 780172

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Nottingham

Unleaded petrol averages 168.9p a litre across 20 filling stations in Nottingham, 2.6p below the UK average. Diesel averages 195.8p, 2.9p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. EG Trent Bridge Nottingham 165.7p
  2. Texaco Tgc - Sportsman Nottingham 165.9p
  3. Asda Hyson Green Nottingham 166.9p

Every filling station and price in Nottingham

How Nottingham compares

Nottingham compared with the East Midlands, England, the UK
Nottingham 299 3.4% 2.4% 7.5% 154 7.6
East Midlands 483 4.3% 3.3% 6.0% 122 20.8
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 Nottingham

There are 2 DVSA car practical test centres in Nottingham, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 49.9% at Nottingham (Chilwell).

Other centres in the East Midlands:

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 East Midlands

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

Councils in the East Midlands
Ashfield 473 7.4% 3.2% 15.3% 103 21.4
Rushcliffe 511 6.2% 5.5% 3.6% 142 29.7
North Northamptonshire 521 5.3% 3.4% 7.7% 126 22.2
Harborough 560 5.2% 4.3% 19.3% 126 30.7
Chesterfield 480 5.0% 3.1% 12.0% 258 8.6
North West Leicestershire 547 4.9% 4.1% 4.3% 148 23.1
Newark and Sherwood 524 4.8% 4.1% 4.7% 120 26.8
South Derbyshire 542 4.8% 4.4% 3.5% 114 31.4
Blaby 523 4.7% 3.5% 5.6% 192 14.9
Gedling 480 4.4% 3.7% 5.0% 99 27.7
North Kesteven 552 4.4% 3.6% 4.6% 100 30.6
Bassetlaw 518 4.3% 3.6% 4.4% 146 19.3
Hinckley and Bosworth 553 4.3% 3.6% 3.7% 85 35.8
Amber Valley 533 4.2% 3.5% 4.9% 75 38.0
Bolsover 510 4.2% 3.4% 5.7% 156 16.1
Charnwood 478 4.2% 3.5% 4.6% 79 32.7
Melton 578 4.2% 3.6% 3.5% 63 53.1
Rutland 547 4.2% 3.7% 4.0% 188 18.6
West Northamptonshire 516 4.2% 3.5% 4.5% 144 19.8
Broxtowe 469 4.1% 3.5% 3.8% 141 17.9
North East Derbyshire 538 4.1% 3.5% 4.1% 38 76.8
West Lindsey 552 4.1% 3.6% 4.3% 70 43.7
Derbyshire Dales 587 4.0% 3.5% 3.6% 180 18.5
South Kesteven 545 4.0% 3.4% 4.4% 112 26.4
Mansfield 474 3.8% 2.9% 5.5% 85 25.1
Oadby and Wigston 464 3.8% 3.1% 9.0% 131 18.3
High Peak 514 3.7% 3.3% 3.8% 108 24.0
Erewash 491 3.6% 3.0% 4.9% 66 34.8
Derby 410 3.5% 2.8% 5.5% 120 15.2
Nottingham 299 3.4% 2.4% 7.5% 154 7.6
South Holland 567 3.3% 2.7% 4.2% 79 32.6
Lincoln 363 3.1% 2.3% 6.9% 176 7.4
East Lindsey 533 3.0% 2.4% 5.5% 143 15.0
Boston 508 2.8% 2.1% 5.4% 124 13.9
Leicester 328 2.6% 1.7% 5.9% 88 12.4

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 124,597 licensed vehicles in Nottingham 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 6,077 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 Nottingham 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.