Yorkshire and the Humber · Metropolitan borough

Rotherham motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
162,457 licensed vehicles in Rotherham
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 136,474 +1.5% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 469 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 5,400 4.0% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.3% 145th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 364 132 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.0% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Rotherham?

There were 136,474 licensed cars in Rotherham at the end of June 2026, and 162,457 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 22.7% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 469 for every 1,000 residents, 141st lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Rotherham

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Rotherham at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 130,742111,254
2011 131,577111,679
2012 132,328112,560
2013 133,697113,969
2014 136,243116,362
2015 137,502117,489
2016 139,891119,325
2017 142,750121,397
2018 144,182123,017
2019 146,302124,687
2020 146,065124,690
2021 150,360127,423
2022 151,099127,712
2023 153,343129,352
2024 156,459132,005
2025 159,772134,393
2026 162,457136,474

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, Rotherham compared
Year RotherhamYorkshire and the HumberUnited Kingdom
2011 433427–
2012 435427–
2013 439429–
2014 445429–
2015 448433473
2016 453442480
2017 460450488
2018 464456490
2019 469464493
2020 470463489
2021 479470493
2022 475469489
2023 474469489
2024 477472490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Rotherham

49.1% of cars in Rotherham run on petrol and 37.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 45.1% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.6%, and cars that plug in 5.9%.

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 Rotherham, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 70.4%29.3%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 68.1%31.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 66.0%33.6%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 63.9%35.6%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 61.9%37.5%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 59.9%39.4%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 57.8%41.4%0.6%0.1%0.0%
2017 56.3%42.7%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2018 55.0%43.8%0.9%0.1%0.1%
2019 54.0%44.5%1.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 53.3%44.9%1.3%0.1%0.2%
2021 52.3%45.1%1.8%0.3%0.3%
2022 51.5%44.7%2.5%0.6%0.5%
2023 51.3%43.6%3.2%1.0%0.6%
2024 50.9%41.8%4.5%1.6%0.9%
2025 50.2%39.6%6.0%2.6%1.3%
2026 49.1%37.1%7.6%4.0%1.9%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Rotherham

5,400 battery electric cars were licensed in Rotherham at the end of June 2026, 4.0% of all cars, 158th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 7,991 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 3,492.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.3% are battery electric (4,218 cars), 2nd highest of 15 councils in the Yorkshire and the Humber. Companies keep 21.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.0% of its cars overall. There are also 109 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, Rotherham compared, end of March each year
Year RotherhamYorkshire and the HumberUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.1%0.3%0.4%
2021 0.3%0.7%0.8%
2022 0.6%1.4%1.5%
2023 1.0%2.2%2.3%
2024 1.6%3.0%3.2%
2025 2.6%4.1%4.4%
2026 4.0%5.5%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Rotherham

There were 364 public chargers in Rotherham on 1 July 2026, 144 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 132 for every 100,000 residents, 159th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 8.3% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 17.8 privately kept plug-in cars in Rotherham (UK 12.9), 173rd most 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 Rotherham by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 336120
Apr 2026 333128
Jul 2026 364144

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Rotherham compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Rotherham 13252
South Yorkshire 9937
Yorkshire and the Humber 11137
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Rotherham has 32 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.5% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 6.2%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Rotherham with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Rotherham 027 7,649 478 6.2% 8.6%
Rotherham 028 4,973 217 4.4% 6.1%
Rotherham 033 5,774 224 3.9% 6.3%
Rotherham 034 7,315 279 3.8% 5.8%
Rotherham 007 4,854 182 3.7% 6.1%
Rotherham 032 5,525 206 3.7% 5.6%
Rotherham 001 6,499 231 3.6% 5.1%
Rotherham 012 5,057 182 3.6% 5.4%
Rotherham 019 4,577 163 3.6% 5.0%
Rotherham 031 4,498 162 3.6% 5.6%
Lowest electric shares
Rotherham 014 3,313 11 0.3% 2.0%
Rotherham 013 3,021 17 0.6% 1.8%
Rotherham 009 3,747 34 0.9% 2.1%
Rotherham 016 2,852 31 1.1% 2.0%
Rotherham 011 3,267 40 1.2% 2.3%

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

Road traffic and collisions in Rotherham

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,644 million miles on roads in Rotherham in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Rotherham
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 1,176
1994 1,198
1995 1,229
1996 1,282
1997 1,318
1998 1,359
1999 1,323
2000 1,334
2001 1,364
2002 1,390
2003 1,396
2004 1,440
2005 1,445
2006 1,457
2007 1,464
2008 1,485
2009 1,461
2010 1,432
2011 1,449
2012 1,434
2013 1,446
2014 1,453
2015 1,498
2016 1,523
2017 1,523
2018 1,563
2019 1,619
2020 1,288
2021 1,412
2022 1,523
2023 1,576
2024 1,547
2025 1,644

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Rotherham, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 375124
2022 408145
2023 437139
2024 421139
2025 429130

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Rotherham

Unleaded petrol averages 173.4p a litre across 35 filling stations in Rotherham, 1.9p above the UK average. Diesel averages 201.9p, 3.2p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

How Rotherham compares

Rotherham compared with South Yorkshire, the Yorkshire and the Humber, England, the UK
Rotherham 469 4.0% 3.3% 5.0% 132 17.8
South Yorkshire 435 4.1% 3.1% 6.3% 99 21.6
Yorkshire and the Humber 440 5.5% 3.0% 9.2% 111 19.6
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 Rotherham

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Rotherham, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 53.1% at Rotherham.

Other centres in South Yorkshire:

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 South Yorkshire

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

Councils in South Yorkshire
Doncaster 474 4.5% 3.4% 6.7% 97 26.1
Rotherham 469 4.0% 3.3% 5.0% 132 17.8
Sheffield 382 3.9% 3.0% 7.3% 91 19.4
Barnsley 468 3.8% 3.0% 5.1% 83 26.9

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 162,457 licensed vehicles in Rotherham 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 8,267 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 Rotherham 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.