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Peterborough motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
284,888 licensed vehicles in Peterborough
Methodology
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  • Licensed cars 242,499 +12.0% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 430 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 72,136 29.7% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.7% 120th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 288 129 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 60.3% UK 10.0%

Company fleets. 60.3% of cars registered in Peterborough have a company as their keeper, against 10.0% across the UK. DVLA counts company cars at the company’s registered address, so leasing and rental fleets land where those firms are based and move when they move. The figures for privately kept cars are the better guide to local drivers.

How many cars are there in Peterborough?

There were 242,499 licensed cars in Peterborough at the end of June 2026, and 284,888 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 206.6% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 430 for every 1,000 residents, 96th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Peterborough

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Peterborough at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 96,15379,097
2011 96,73979,885
2012 97,66380,552
2013 99,27382,064
2014 196,517169,321
2015 212,870184,328
2016 226,607196,056
2017 233,825200,353
2018 222,136188,186
2019 220,377181,788
2020 224,251183,489
2021 223,040180,550
2022 221,652180,433
2023 222,153180,911
2024 233,572193,658
2025 257,198216,574
2026 284,888242,499

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, Peterborough compared
Year PeterboroughEast of EnglandUnited Kingdom
2011 433503–
2012 427502–
2013 426505–
2014 865524–
2015 921529473
2016 956537480
2017 962544488
2018 892542490
2019 853541493
2020 859536489
2021 834539493
2022 828532489
2023 818529489
2024 866531490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Peterborough

28.2% of cars in Peterborough run on petrol and 17.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 64.1% in 2015. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 9.3%, and cars that plug in 44.1%.

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.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Peterborough, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 70.6%29.0%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 68.2%31.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 65.9%33.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 63.4%36.0%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 35.9%62.9%0.8%0.1%0.0%
2015 33.8%64.1%0.8%0.2%0.8%
2016 33.3%63.7%0.7%0.3%1.8%
2017 34.0%61.3%0.7%0.4%3.4%
2018 36.8%57.0%0.9%0.4%4.8%
2019 41.1%51.6%1.1%0.5%5.5%
2020 44.1%46.5%1.8%1.0%6.2%
2021 46.6%39.2%2.9%2.3%7.9%
2022 46.1%34.4%3.6%4.5%9.4%
2023 43.3%30.6%4.7%8.6%10.5%
2024 38.1%25.4%5.7%16.8%12.1%
2025 32.6%20.8%7.4%24.4%13.4%
2026 28.2%17.6%9.3%29.7%14.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Peterborough

72,136 battery electric cars were licensed in Peterborough at the end of June 2026, 29.7% of all cars, 3rd highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 106,889 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 52,869.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.7% are battery electric (2,550 cars), 19th lowest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 96.5% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 60.3% of its cars overall. There are also 1,747 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, Peterborough compared, end of March each year
Year PeterboroughEast of EnglandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.3%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.4%0.2%0.1%
2018 0.4%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.5%0.2%0.2%
2020 1.0%0.4%0.4%
2021 2.3%0.8%0.8%
2022 4.5%1.2%1.5%
2023 8.6%1.9%2.3%
2024 16.8%2.9%3.2%
2025 24.4%4.1%4.4%
2026 29.7%5.6%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Peterborough

There were 288 public chargers in Peterborough on 1 July 2026, 95 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 129 for every 100,000 residents, 154th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 23.1% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 14.9 privately kept plug-in cars in Peterborough (UK 12.9), 148th 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 Peterborough by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 23472
Apr 2026 29892
Jul 2026 28895

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Peterborough compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Peterborough 12943
East of England 15049
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Peterborough has 22 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.9% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.4%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Peterborough with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Peterborough 018 6,050 265 4.4% 6.4%
Peterborough 004 4,774 189 4.0% 6.5%
Peterborough 022 6,367 237 3.7% 5.7%
Peterborough 015 4,447 156 3.5% 6.2%
Peterborough 001 4,236 142 3.4% 5.3%
Peterborough 005 4,712 122 2.6% 4.4%
Peterborough 019 7,797 200 2.6% 3.9%
Peterborough 003 5,480 135 2.5% 4.0%
Peterborough 006 4,623 100 2.2% 3.5%
Peterborough 002 3,231 61 1.9% 3.2%
Lowest electric shares
Peterborough 014 3,975 19 0.5% 2.3%
Peterborough 010 3,409 24 0.7% 2.5%
Peterborough 017 4,499 42 0.9% 2.8%
Peterborough 008 4,390 39 0.9% 2.1%
Peterborough 021 3,784 37 1.0% 1.9%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 3 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Peterborough

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,286 million miles on roads in Peterborough in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Peterborough
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 901
1994 917
1995 932
1996 948
1997 975
1998 986
1999 1,032
2000 1,013
2001 1,022
2002 1,047
2003 1,060
2004 1,085
2005 1,072
2006 1,086
2007 1,090
2008 1,075
2009 1,067
2010 1,065
2011 1,055
2012 1,038
2013 1,062
2014 1,100
2015 1,131
2016 1,154
2017 1,211
2018 1,214
2019 1,234
2020 968
2021 1,079
2022 1,210
2023 1,190
2024 1,215
2025 1,286

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Peterborough, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 32683
2022 39184
2023 36777
2024 33764
2025 386106

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Peterborough

Unleaded petrol averages 171.9p a litre across 19 filling stations in Peterborough, 0.4p above the UK average. Diesel averages 196.7p, 2.0p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Esso Padholme Road Service Station Peterborough 167.9p
  2. Eastfield Service Station Peterborough 168.9p
  3. Valero MFG Kingfisher Peterborough 169.9p

Every filling station and price in Peterborough

How Peterborough compares

Peterborough compared with the East of England, England, the UK
Peterborough 430 29.7% 2.7% 60.3% 129 14.9
East of England 501 5.6% 3.2% 8.7% 150 17.3
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 Peterborough

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Peterborough, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 52.8% at Peterborough.

Other centres in the East of England:

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 of England

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

Councils in the East of England
Peterborough 430 29.7% 2.7% 60.3% 129 14.9
South Cambridgeshire 547 5.9% 5.4% 3.5% 205 21.3
St Albans 503 5.8% 5.0% 3.7% 111 36.8
Hertsmere 469 5.7% 4.4% 6.5% 229 15.2
Three Rivers 513 5.1% 4.2% 4.2% 161 23.4
Cambridge 270 5.0% 4.4% 3.8% 313 5.8
Huntingdonshire 549 5.0% 3.8% 8.3% 175 18.6
Uttlesford 593 4.8% 4.2% 12.0% 164 24.4
Central Bedfordshire 542 4.7% 4.1% 4.5% 168 20.0
North Hertfordshire 515 4.7% 4.0% 4.3% 117 27.7
Bedford 486 4.5% 3.6% 6.4% 149 18.0
East Hertfordshire 529 4.4% 3.7% 3.8% 135 24.6
Epping Forest 499 4.4% 3.6% 5.3% 126 25.2
Welwyn Hatfield 458 4.4% 3.6% 5.5% 350 7.8
East Cambridgeshire 567 4.3% 3.9% 3.7% 90 36.5
Brentwood 501 4.2% 3.2% 4.9% 97 33.0
Dacorum 508 4.2% 3.5% 4.1% 159 19.0
Chelmsford 504 4.0% 3.3% 4.8% 105 27.0
South Norfolk 574 4.0% 3.5% 4.1% 131 22.3
Watford 398 4.0% 3.0% 5.4% 563 4.0
Basildon 461 3.9% 2.5% 11.9% 62 34.8
Mid Suffolk 612 3.9% 3.2% 4.6% 135 21.9
Broadland 576 3.8% 3.2% 3.9% 116 23.8
Colchester 474 3.6% 2.9% 4.6% 90 24.5
Maldon 605 3.5% 2.9% 3.6% 61 49.5
Breckland 558 3.4% 2.7% 4.3% 114 20.2
Broxbourne 486 3.4% 2.8% 4.7% 153 15.8
East Suffolk 551 3.4% 2.7% 4.3% 143 16.6
Babergh 590 3.3% 2.9% 3.2% 164 16.8
Rochford 554 3.3% 2.9% 4.0% 76 36.3
Thurrock 458 3.3% 2.6% 5.2% 115 20.6
Braintree 537 3.2% 2.7% 4.1% 89 27.3
Harlow 444 3.2% 2.5% 4.6% 74 25.7
King's Lynn and West Norfolk 540 3.2% 2.6% 4.1% 172 13.1
Stevenage 450 3.1% 2.6% 4.3% 194 9.8
West Suffolk 547 3.1% 2.7% 4.6% 236 9.5
Norwich 351 3.0% 1.9% 5.7% 196 5.2
Fenland 539 2.9% 2.4% 4.3% 53 38.6
Luton 378 2.9% 2.3% 5.2% 65 26.8
North Norfolk 575 2.8% 2.4% 3.5% 225 9.7
Tendring 513 2.8% 2.2% 4.8% 84 21.7
Castle Point 534 2.7% 2.2% 3.8% 42 51.7
Ipswich 446 2.7% 1.9% 4.9% 294 4.8
Southend-on-Sea 430 2.7% 2.2% 3.9% 51 31.6
Great Yarmouth 472 2.4% 1.9% 4.7% 211 6.7

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 284,888 licensed vehicles in Peterborough 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 109,387 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 Peterborough 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.