North West · Metropolitan borough
St Helens motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in St Helens, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how St Helens compares with the North West. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 91,060 +1.5% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 453 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 3,469 3.8% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.0% 174th lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 135 72 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 6.0% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in St Helens?
There were 91,060 licensed cars in St Helens at the end of June 2026, and 110,905 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 17.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 453 for every 1,000 residents, 113th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in St Helens
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 90,548 | 77,839 |
| 2011 | 90,686 | 77,673 |
| 2012 | 90,621 | 77,631 |
| 2013 | 91,256 | 78,238 |
| 2014 | 92,913 | 79,654 |
| 2015 | 93,809 | 80,339 |
| 2016 | 96,384 | 81,771 |
| 2017 | 98,448 | 83,398 |
| 2018 | 100,139 | 84,574 |
| 2019 | 101,443 | 85,561 |
| 2020 | 101,459 | 85,573 |
| 2021 | 104,212 | 86,991 |
| 2022 | 105,048 | 87,295 |
| 2023 | 106,503 | 88,509 |
| 2024 | 107,188 | 88,994 |
| 2025 | 108,856 | 89,747 |
| 2026 | 110,905 | 91,060 |
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 | St Helens | North West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 443 | 429 | – |
| 2012 | 441 | 425 | – |
| 2013 | 443 | 428 | – |
| 2014 | 448 | 433 | – |
| 2015 | 451 | 435 | 473 |
| 2016 | 456 | 438 | 480 |
| 2017 | 463 | 440 | 488 |
| 2018 | 467 | 443 | 490 |
| 2019 | 471 | 448 | 493 |
| 2020 | 470 | 446 | 489 |
| 2021 | 474 | 477 | 493 |
| 2022 | 472 | 472 | 489 |
| 2023 | 474 | 472 | 489 |
| 2024 | 471 | 474 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in St Helens
56.7% of cars in St Helens run on petrol and 28.4% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 36.8% in 2020. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.8%, 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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.9% | 23.9% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 74.0% | 25.7% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 72.4% | 27.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 70.7% | 28.9% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 68.9% | 30.7% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 67.1% | 32.4% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 64.8% | 34.6% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 63.6% | 35.7% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 62.6% | 36.6% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 62.3% | 36.7% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2020 | 61.9% | 36.8% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2021 | 61.2% | 36.7% | 1.5% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2022 | 60.9% | 35.7% | 2.2% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| 2023 | 60.5% | 34.5% | 3.1% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| 2024 | 59.5% | 33.0% | 4.7% | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| 2025 | 58.4% | 30.8% | 6.7% | 2.5% | 1.2% |
| 2026 | 56.7% | 28.4% | 8.8% | 3.8% | 1.9% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in St Helens
3,469 battery electric cars were licensed in St Helens at the end of June 2026, 3.8% of all cars, 177th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,169 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,220.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.0% are battery electric (2,551 cars), 17th highest of 35 councils in the North West. Companies keep 26.5% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 6.0% of its cars overall. There are also 95 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 | St Helens | North West | United 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% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.2% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.5% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | 2.9% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 1.5% | 4.1% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | 5.3% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 3.8% | 6.6% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in St Helens
There were 135 public chargers in St Helens on 1 July 2026, 75 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 72 for every 100,000 residents, 43rd lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 5.6% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 29.5 privately kept plug-in cars in St Helens (UK 12.9), 45th 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 | 143 | 76 |
| Apr 2026 | 135 | 76 |
| Jul 2026 | 135 | 75 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| St Helens | 72 | 40 |
| Merseyside | 111 | 26 |
| North West | 112 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
St Helens has 24 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, 4.4%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Helens 025 | 3,880 | 171 | 4.4% | |
| St. Helens 009 | 3,511 | 145 | 4.1% | |
| St. Helens 023 | 3,271 | 134 | 4.1% | |
| St. Helens 018 | 3,957 | 150 | 3.8% | |
| St. Helens 001 | 5,180 | 172 | 3.3% | |
| St. Helens 015 | 6,284 | 190 | 3.0% | |
| St. Helens 024 | 3,658 | 109 | 3.0% | |
| St. Helens 013 | 3,262 | 96 | 2.9% | |
| St. Helens 022 | 5,638 | 162 | 2.9% | |
| St. Helens 021 | 2,755 | 71 | 2.6% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| St. Helens 012 | 2,859 | 29 | 1.0% | |
| St. Helens 014 | 3,376 | 45 | 1.3% | |
| St. Helens 011 | 2,687 | 38 | 1.4% | |
| St. Helens 008 | 4,981 | 97 | 1.9% | |
| St. Helens 004 | 5,309 | 114 | 2.1% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 1 neighbourhood is left out because DfT withholds small counts there.
Road traffic and collisions in St Helens
Vehicles travelled an estimated 871 million miles on roads in St Helens in 2025.
Traffic on all roads
| Year | Million vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 668 |
| 1994 | 681 |
| 1995 | 698 |
| 1996 | 726 |
| 1997 | 738 |
| 1998 | 744 |
| 1999 | 763 |
| 2000 | 767 |
| 2001 | 759 |
| 2002 | 771 |
| 2003 | 786 |
| 2004 | 783 |
| 2005 | 760 |
| 2006 | 804 |
| 2007 | 797 |
| 2008 | 833 |
| 2009 | 798 |
| 2010 | 785 |
| 2011 | 808 |
| 2012 | 789 |
| 2013 | 794 |
| 2014 | 830 |
| 2015 | 844 |
| 2016 | 869 |
| 2017 | 867 |
| 2018 | 861 |
| 2019 | 858 |
| 2020 | 692 |
| 2021 | 747 |
| 2022 | 827 |
| 2023 | 844 |
| 2024 | 859 |
| 2025 | 871 |
Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 216 | 66 |
| 2022 | 237 | 57 |
| 2023 | 224 | 73 |
| 2024 | 237 | 71 |
| 2025 | 244 | 63 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in St Helens
Unleaded petrol averages 168.3p a litre across 16 filling stations in St Helens, 3.2p below the UK average. Diesel averages 194.3p, 4.4p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Texaco West End Road Service Station St. Helens 161.9p
- Costco Wholesale Haydock Haydock 162.9p
- Asda Haydock East Lancashire Road Haydock 165.7p
How St Helens compares
| St Helens | 453 | 3.8% | 72 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merseyside | 390 | 3.8% | 111 |
| 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 St Helens
There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in St Helens, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 40.9% at St Helens (Liverpool).
Other centres in Merseyside:
- Southport (Liverpool) 56.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Wallasey 54.3% pass rate, 2025/26
- Upton 52.6% pass rate, 2025/26
- Speke (Liverpool) 40.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Norris Green (Liverpool) 37.9% pass rate, 2025/26
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 Merseyside
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
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 | 110,905 licensed vehicles in St Helens | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 5,417 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 St Helens 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.