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Salford motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
133,578 licensed vehicles in Salford
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 115,457 +12.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 332 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 5,602 4.9% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.8% 140th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 283 96 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 15.3% UK 10.0%

Company fleets. The number of cars registered in Salford changed by +12.3% in a year. 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 Salford?

There were 115,457 licensed cars in Salford at the end of June 2026, and 133,578 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 41.4% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 332 for every 1,000 residents, 36th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Salford

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Salford at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 95,58981,628
2011 95,99581,330
2012 95,63680,995
2013 95,88781,934
2014 98,17483,975
2015 99,56185,221
2016 102,85787,742
2017 105,71089,828
2018 107,43291,524
2019 109,79093,704
2020 109,70294,127
2021 113,44396,886
2022 114,03598,254
2023 115,87199,810
2024 117,409101,118
2025 119,759102,804
2026 133,578115,457

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, Salford compared
Year SalfordNorth WestUnited Kingdom
2011 347429–
2012 341425–
2013 342428–
2014 346433–
2015 345435473
2016 349438480
2017 352440488
2018 353443490
2019 356448493
2020 354446489
2021 358477493
2022 351472489
2023 348472489
2024 344474490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Salford

53.6% of cars in Salford run on petrol and 25.7% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 36.0% in 2021. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 12.5%, and cars that plug in 7.9%.

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 Salford, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 76.8%22.8%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 74.9%24.6%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 73.1%26.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 71.5%27.9%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 69.5%29.8%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2015 67.7%31.5%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2016 65.8%33.2%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2017 64.3%34.5%0.9%0.1%0.1%
2018 63.3%35.2%1.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 62.7%35.6%1.3%0.1%0.2%
2020 62.3%35.8%1.5%0.2%0.2%
2021 61.2%36.0%2.0%0.3%0.3%
2022 60.5%35.3%2.8%0.7%0.5%
2023 60.0%34.0%3.8%1.1%0.7%
2024 59.2%32.3%5.4%1.7%1.0%
2025 58.2%30.0%7.3%2.6%1.5%
2026 53.6%25.7%12.5%4.9%3.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Salford

5,602 battery electric cars were licensed in Salford at the end of June 2026, 4.9% of all cars, 59th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 9,114 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,627.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.8% are battery electric (2,697 cars), 15th lowest of 35 councils in the North West. Companies keep 51.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 15.3% of its cars overall. There are also 255 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, Salford compared, end of March each year
Year SalfordNorth WestUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.3%0.8%0.8%
2022 0.7%1.7%1.5%
2023 1.1%2.9%2.3%
2024 1.7%4.1%3.2%
2025 2.6%5.3%4.4%
2026 4.9%6.6%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Salford

There were 283 public chargers in Salford on 1 July 2026, 65 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 96 for every 100,000 residents, 81st lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 5.6% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 15.9 privately kept plug-in cars in Salford (UK 12.9), 162nd 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 Salford by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 26857
Apr 2026 27158
Jul 2026 28365

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Salford compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Salford 9622
Greater Manchester 9642
North West 11240
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Salford has 34 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.0% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.5%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Salford with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Salford 013 6,360 289 4.5% 7.4%
Salford 014 5,780 246 4.3% 7.1%
Salford 020 5,270 197 3.7% 5.6%
Salford 003 3,457 124 3.6% 5.6%
Salford 004 3,260 117 3.6% 5.3%
Salford 012 4,492 136 3.0% 4.7%
Salford 017 2,817 83 2.9% 4.8%
Salford 007 5,169 144 2.8% 4.2%
Salford 002 2,443 63 2.6% 3.8%
Salford 015 3,073 78 2.5% 4.0%
Lowest electric shares
Salford 031 1,662 0 0.0% 1.4%
Salford 024 1,568 14 0.9% 2.7%
Salford 034 2,358 31 1.3% 4.3%
Salford 025 2,380 33 1.4% 2.6%
Salford 010 1,956 28 1.4% 3.5%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 5 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Salford

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,507 million miles on roads in Salford in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Salford
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 1,265
1994 1,290
1995 1,323
1996 1,364
1997 1,399
1998 1,397
1999 1,427
2000 1,433
2001 1,408
2002 1,437
2003 1,442
2004 1,464
2005 1,426
2006 1,436
2007 1,460
2008 1,451
2009 1,464
2010 1,451
2011 1,435
2012 1,434
2013 1,439
2014 1,440
2015 1,463
2016 1,462
2017 1,414
2018 1,427
2019 1,454
2020 1,176
2021 1,307
2022 1,392
2023 1,428
2024 1,486
2025 1,507

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Salford, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 31777
2022 27873
2023 26572
2024 28198
2025 282111

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Salford

Unleaded petrol averages 168.8p a litre across 24 filling stations in Salford, 2.7p below the UK average. Diesel averages 195.1p, 3.6p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Texaco Limes Service Station Manchester 161.9p
  2. Essar S&S Station Ltd Manchester 162.9p
  3. Murco Cleggs Lane Service Station Manchester 165.9p

Every filling station and price in Salford

How Salford compares

Salford compared with Greater Manchester, the North West, England, the UK
Salford 332 4.9% 2.8% 15.3% 96 15.9
Greater Manchester 391 7.8% 2.9% 15.5% 96 19.1
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 Salford

There is no DVSA car practical test centre in Salford. The nearest centres are elsewhere in Greater Manchester.

Centres in Greater Manchester:

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 Greater Manchester

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

Councils in Greater Manchester
Stockport 467 24.6% 3.4% 45.3% 115 21.8
Bury 432 5.6% 3.2% 18.8% 55 40.3
Salford 332 4.9% 2.8% 15.3% 96 15.9
Trafford 450 4.7% 3.8% 5.2% 189 14.5
Manchester 282 3.7% 2.1% 9.9% 128 8.3
Wigan 457 3.7% 3.1% 4.8% 76 28.7
Bolton 411 3.5% 2.8% 6.3% 55 34.2
Rochdale 406 3.4% 2.7% 6.2% 72 26.0
Oldham 381 3.1% 2.3% 7.5% 71 21.6
Tameside 414 3.1% 2.4% 5.5% 59 27.9

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 133,578 licensed vehicles in Salford 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 9,424 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 Salford 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.