North West · District council
Pendle motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Pendle, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Pendle compares with the North West. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 45,151 +2.9% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 425 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 1,148 2.5% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.0% 31st lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 63 63 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 6.0% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in Pendle?
There were 45,151 licensed cars in Pendle at the end of June 2026, and 55,046 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 21.6% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 425 for every 1,000 residents, 90th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in Pendle
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 44,234 | 37,132 |
| 2011 | 44,192 | 37,108 |
| 2012 | 43,904 | 36,767 |
| 2013 | 44,268 | 36,975 |
| 2014 | 44,917 | 37,433 |
| 2015 | 45,694 | 38,017 |
| 2016 | 46,583 | 38,644 |
| 2017 | 47,648 | 39,413 |
| 2018 | 48,632 | 40,163 |
| 2019 | 49,500 | 40,810 |
| 2020 | 49,299 | 40,701 |
| 2021 | 50,849 | 41,589 |
| 2022 | 51,495 | 41,778 |
| 2023 | 52,301 | 42,466 |
| 2024 | 53,353 | 43,353 |
| 2025 | 53,901 | 43,881 |
| 2026 | 55,046 | 45,151 |
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 | Pendle | North West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 414 | 429 | – |
| 2012 | 409 | 425 | – |
| 2013 | 408 | 428 | – |
| 2014 | 412 | 433 | – |
| 2015 | 415 | 435 | 473 |
| 2016 | 418 | 438 | 480 |
| 2017 | 424 | 440 | 488 |
| 2018 | 428 | 443 | 490 |
| 2019 | 430 | 448 | 493 |
| 2020 | 428 | 446 | 489 |
| 2021 | 434 | 477 | 493 |
| 2022 | 433 | 472 | 489 |
| 2023 | 434 | 472 | 489 |
| 2024 | 435 | 474 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Pendle
46.6% of cars in Pendle run on petrol and 40.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 46.0% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.5%, and cars that plug in 4.1%.
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 | 68.4% | 31.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 65.8% | 33.9% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 63.5% | 36.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 61.4% | 38.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 59.4% | 40.2% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 57.3% | 42.1% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 55.0% | 44.2% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 54.0% | 45.2% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 53.2% | 45.7% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 52.8% | 46.0% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2020 | 52.6% | 45.8% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 51.5% | 46.0% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2022 | 50.5% | 45.9% | 2.4% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| 2023 | 49.5% | 45.5% | 3.2% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| 2024 | 48.7% | 44.1% | 4.6% | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| 2025 | 47.8% | 42.6% | 6.2% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| 2026 | 46.6% | 40.3% | 8.5% | 2.5% | 1.6% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Pendle
1,148 battery electric cars were licensed in Pendle at the end of June 2026, 2.5% of all cars, 21st lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 1,868 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 765.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.0% are battery electric (829 cars), the lowest of 35 councils in the North West. Companies keep 27.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 6.0% of its cars overall. There are also 53 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 | Pendle | North West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.5% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 0.8% | 2.9% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | 4.1% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 1.7% | 5.3% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 2.5% | 6.6% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Pendle
There were 63 public chargers in Pendle on 1 July 2026, 34 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 63 for every 100,000 residents, 25th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 21.2% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 22.5 privately kept plug-in cars in Pendle (UK 12.9), 109th most 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 | 52 | 24 |
| Apr 2026 | 62 | 34 |
| Jul 2026 | 63 | 34 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Pendle | 63 | 34 |
| Lancashire | 113 | 46 |
| North West | 112 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Pendle has 12 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 2.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pendle 008 | 7,012 | 200 | 2.9% | |
| Pendle 006 | 4,975 | 129 | 2.6% | |
| Pendle 003 | 4,001 | 80 | 2.0% | |
| Pendle 001 | 3,282 | 59 | 1.8% | |
| Pendle 012 | 3,664 | 67 | 1.8% | |
| Pendle 007 | 2,779 | 44 | 1.6% | |
| Pendle 014 | 5,568 | 88 | 1.6% | |
| Pendle 002 | 3,354 | 51 | 1.5% | |
| Pendle 013 | 4,925 | 64 | 1.3% | |
| Pendle 009 | 2,565 | 10 | 0.4% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Pendle 010 | 3,594 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Pendle 011 | 3,207 | 11 | 0.3% | |
| Pendle 009 | 2,565 | 10 | 0.4% | |
| Pendle 013 | 4,925 | 64 | 1.3% | |
| Pendle 002 | 3,354 | 51 | 1.5% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in Pendle
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 137 | 43 |
| 2022 | 117 | 42 |
| 2023 | 143 | 33 |
| 2024 | 143 | 38 |
| 2025 | 134 | 41 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Pendle
Unleaded petrol averages 169.2p a litre across 12 filling stations in Pendle, 2.3p below the UK average. Diesel averages 196.6p, 2.1p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Asda Colne Superstore Colne 165.7p
- MFG Morrisons Nelson Nelson 165.7p
- Shell Nelson Nelson 165.9p
How Pendle compares
| Pendle | 425 | 2.5% | 63 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 468 | 3.9% | 113 |
| 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 Pendle
There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Pendle, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 51.7% at Nelson.
Other centres in Lancashire:
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 Lancashire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Chorley | 506 | 4.7% | 124 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ribble Valley | 546 | 4.7% | 123 |
| West Lancashire | 491 | 4.7% | 76 |
| South Ribble | 527 | 4.4% | 167 |
| Fylde | 533 | 4.3% | 133 |
| Wyre | 508 | 4.0% | 136 |
| Preston | 396 | 3.9% | 79 |
| Rossendale | 476 | 3.5% | 179 |
| Lancaster | 438 | 3.3% | 135 |
| Hyndburn | 421 | 2.9% | 58 |
| Burnley | 393 | 2.8% | 108 |
| 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 | 55,046 licensed vehicles in Pendle | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 1,950 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 Pendle 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.