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Rossendale motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
44,989 licensed vehicles in Rossendale
Methodology
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  • Licensed cars 36,707 +0.9% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 476 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 1,285 3.5% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.9% 156th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 131 179 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.3% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Rossendale?

There were 36,707 licensed cars in Rossendale at the end of June 2026, and 44,989 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 13.7% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 476 for every 1,000 residents, 160th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Rossendale

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Rossendale at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 38,71832,289
2011 38,76632,201
2012 38,78632,163
2013 39,23832,437
2014 39,97932,991
2015 40,23733,318
2016 40,93033,783
2017 41,88934,432
2018 42,17434,598
2019 42,78835,243
2020 42,55635,192
2021 43,43735,647
2022 43,41435,441
2023 43,71535,561
2024 44,07735,930
2025 44,41036,368
2026 44,98936,707

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, Rossendale compared
Year RossendaleNorth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 473429–
2012 472425–
2013 474428–
2014 479433–
2015 482435473
2016 486438480
2017 491440488
2018 491443490
2019 497448493
2020 497446489
2021 502477493
2022 497472489
2023 494472489
2024 492474490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Rossendale

53.6% of cars in Rossendale run on petrol and 32.3% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 43.1% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.9%, and cars that plug in 5.7%.

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 Rossendale, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 69.0%30.6%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 67.2%32.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 65.5%34.0%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 63.6%35.9%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 61.6%37.8%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 60.0%39.3%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 58.4%40.9%0.5%0.1%0.0%
2017 56.9%42.2%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2018 55.9%43.0%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2019 55.4%43.1%1.0%0.2%0.2%
2020 55.2%42.9%1.2%0.2%0.3%
2021 55.4%41.9%1.7%0.4%0.4%
2022 55.5%40.4%2.4%0.8%0.6%
2023 55.4%38.9%3.4%1.2%0.8%
2024 55.2%36.8%4.8%1.6%1.1%
2025 54.5%34.8%6.4%2.4%1.5%
2026 53.6%32.3%7.9%3.5%2.2%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Rossendale

1,285 battery electric cars were licensed in Rossendale at the end of June 2026, 3.5% of all cars, 142nd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,087 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 858.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.9% are battery electric (1,007 cars), 16th lowest of 35 councils in the North West. Companies keep 21.6% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.3% of its cars overall. There are also 31 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, Rossendale compared, end of March each year
Year RossendaleNorth WestUnited 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 0.2%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.4%0.8%0.8%
2022 0.8%1.7%1.5%
2023 1.2%2.9%2.3%
2024 1.6%4.1%3.2%
2025 2.4%5.3%4.4%
2026 3.5%6.6%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Rossendale

There were 131 public chargers in Rossendale on 1 July 2026, 47 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 179 for every 100,000 residents, 114th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 5.8% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 13.1 privately kept plug-in cars in Rossendale (UK 12.9), 124th 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 Rossendale by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 13949
Apr 2026 13549
Jul 2026 13147

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Rossendale compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Rossendale 17964
Lancashire 11346
North West 11240
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Rossendale has 8 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.3%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Rossendale with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Rossendale 007 3,763 125 3.3% 5.5%
Rossendale 001 5,326 165 3.1% 5.4%
Rossendale 003 6,057 155 2.6% 4.4%
Rossendale 004 4,757 124 2.6% 4.3%
Rossendale 008 4,137 109 2.6% 4.8%
Rossendale 009 4,625 113 2.4% 3.9%
Rossendale 002 5,254 122 2.3% 4.2%
Rossendale 010 6,824 94 1.4% 2.7%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.

Road traffic and collisions in Rossendale

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Rossendale, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 10738
2022 9630
2023 9430
2024 10727
2025 9640

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Rossendale

Unleaded petrol averages 166.7p a litre across 11 filling stations in Rossendale, 4.8p below the UK average. Diesel averages 193.5p, 5.2p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Texaco Highshot Haslengden Service Station, Manchester Road, Haslingden, Rossendale, Lancashire, BB4 5PD Rossendale 161.9p
  2. Shell Rossendale Service Station Rossendale 162.9p
  3. Texaco Sandybank Garage Rossendale 162.9p

Every filling station and price in Rossendale

How Rossendale compares

Rossendale compared with Lancashire, the North West, England, the UK
Rossendale 476 3.5% 2.9% 5.3% 179 13.1
Lancashire 468 3.9% 3.2% 5.3% 113 20.7
North West 430 6.6% 3.1% 11.7% 112 18.9
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 Rossendale

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in Rossendale. The nearest centres are elsewhere in Lancashire.

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.

Councils in Lancashire
Chorley 506 4.7% 4.0% 4.2% 124 24.4
Ribble Valley 546 4.7% 4.2% 3.8% 123 30.3
West Lancashire 491 4.7% 3.7% 6.5% 76 37.0
South Ribble 527 4.4% 3.8% 4.3% 167 17.6
Fylde 533 4.3% 3.6% 4.9% 133 23.0
Wyre 508 4.0% 3.3% 4.8% 136 19.0
Preston 396 3.9% 3.0% 7.2% 79 24.4
Rossendale 476 3.5% 2.9% 5.3% 179 13.1
Lancaster 438 3.3% 2.8% 4.2% 135 13.6
Hyndburn 421 2.9% 2.1% 6.7% 58 24.9
Burnley 393 2.8% 2.2% 6.2% 108 13.0
Pendle 425 2.5% 2.0% 6.0% 63 22.5

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 44,989 licensed vehicles in Rossendale 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 2,140 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 Rossendale 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.