My Garage

Popular searches

North East · Metropolitan borough

Sunderland motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
143,586 licensed vehicles in Sunderland
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 122,913 +1.6% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 404 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 4,336 3.5% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.9% 156th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 554 192 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.1% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Sunderland?

There were 122,913 licensed cars in Sunderland at the end of June 2026, and 143,586 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 19.1% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 404 for every 1,000 residents, 77th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Sunderland

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Sunderland at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 118,735103,226
2011 118,430102,974
2012 118,013102,826
2013 119,012103,555
2014 120,614104,987
2015 121,919106,324
2016 123,885108,147
2017 126,468110,200
2018 127,673111,237
2019 130,025113,256
2020 130,445113,809
2021 133,752115,667
2022 134,133115,591
2023 135,611116,796
2024 138,427119,148
2025 141,136121,005
2026 143,586122,913

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, Sunderland compared
Year SunderlandNorth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 374401–
2012 374402–
2013 376405–
2014 381411–
2015 386415473
2016 393420480
2017 401426488
2018 406429490
2019 413435493
2020 416436489
2021 422442493
2022 416439489
2023 412438489
2024 413439490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Sunderland

54.1% of cars in Sunderland run on petrol and 32.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.8% in 2019. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 7.9%, and cars that plug in 5.0%.

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 Sunderland, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 74.4%25.4%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 72.5%27.2%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 70.4%29.2%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 68.3%31.4%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 66.1%33.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 64.1%35.4%0.3%0.1%0.0%
2016 62.1%37.2%0.3%0.2%0.0%
2017 60.5%38.7%0.4%0.2%0.1%
2018 59.4%39.7%0.5%0.2%0.1%
2019 59.1%39.8%0.7%0.2%0.1%
2020 59.0%39.7%0.8%0.2%0.1%
2021 58.2%39.8%1.3%0.3%0.2%
2022 57.7%39.1%2.0%0.6%0.4%
2023 57.1%38.3%2.9%1.0%0.5%
2024 56.4%36.7%4.3%1.6%0.7%
2025 55.4%34.8%6.0%2.4%1.0%
2026 54.1%32.6%7.9%3.5%1.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Sunderland

4,336 battery electric cars were licensed in Sunderland at the end of June 2026, 3.5% of all cars, 142nd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 6,127 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,892.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.9% are battery electric (3,374 cars), 6th highest of 12 councils in the North East. Companies keep 22.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.1% of its cars overall. There are also 172 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, Sunderland compared, end of March each year
Year SunderlandNorth EastUnited Kingdom
2016 0.2%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.2%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.2%0.4%
2021 0.3%0.4%0.8%
2022 0.6%0.7%1.5%
2023 1.0%1.1%2.3%
2024 1.6%1.7%3.2%
2025 2.4%2.5%4.4%
2026 3.5%3.6%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Sunderland

There were 554 public chargers in Sunderland on 1 July 2026, 147 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 192 for every 100,000 residents, 103rd highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 21.8% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 9.0 privately kept plug-in cars in Sunderland (UK 12.9), 66th 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 Sunderland by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 455115
Apr 2026 522145
Jul 2026 554147

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Sunderland compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Sunderland 19251
Tyne and Wear 14840
North East 15037
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Sunderland has 36 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.3% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.7%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Sunderland with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Sunderland 007 3,406 159 4.7% 6.3%
Sunderland 031 3,972 164 4.1% 5.9%
Sunderland 017 4,083 163 4.0% 5.7%
Sunderland 025 5,675 225 4.0% 6.4%
Sunderland 029 4,513 166 3.7% 5.7%
Sunderland 030 5,430 203 3.7% 5.3%
Sunderland 033 4,642 164 3.5% 4.8%
Sunderland 010 3,171 101 3.2% 4.3%
Sunderland 019 3,143 98 3.1% 4.5%
Sunderland 032 4,588 143 3.1% 4.6%
Lowest electric shares
Sunderland 026 2,758 22 0.8% 1.7%
Sunderland 011 1,859 15 0.8% 2.2%
Sunderland 004 3,412 31 0.9% 2.0%
Sunderland 016 2,810 28 1.0% 1.6%
Sunderland 003 3,092 32 1.0% 2.1%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 2 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Sunderland

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,127 million miles on roads in Sunderland in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Sunderland
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 970
1994 983
1995 998
1996 1,024
1997 1,041
1998 1,058
1999 1,078
2000 1,071
2001 1,066
2002 1,089
2003 1,084
2004 1,079
2005 1,062
2006 1,089
2007 1,084
2008 1,061
2009 1,030
2010 1,004
2011 995
2012 993
2013 991
2014 1,019
2015 1,035
2016 1,053
2017 1,047
2018 1,071
2019 1,087
2020 865
2021 940
2022 1,056
2023 1,087
2024 1,095
2025 1,127

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Sunderland, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 32570
2022 32272
2023 32472
2024 33568
2025 33280

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Sunderland

Unleaded petrol averages 169.2p a litre across 22 filling stations in Sunderland, 2.3p below the UK average. Diesel averages 196.4p, 2.3p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. EG Rainton Houghton Le Spring 164.7p
  2. Northview Service Station Esso Houghton Le Spring 164.9p
  3. Jet Quarry Service Station Houghton Le Spring 164.9p

Every filling station and price in Sunderland

How Sunderland compares

Sunderland compared with Tyne and Wear, the North East, England, the UK
Sunderland 404 3.5% 2.9% 5.1% 192 9.0
Tyne and Wear 379 3.7% 3.0% 5.9% 148 11.6
North East 424 3.6% 3.0% 5.8% 150 12.8
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 Sunderland

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Sunderland, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 51.2% at Sunderland.

Other centres in Tyne and Wear:

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 Tyne and Wear

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

Councils in Tyne and Wear
Newcastle upon Tyne 315 4.0% 3.2% 7.1% 122 12.7
North Tyneside 419 4.0% 3.3% 6.3% 62 32.9
Gateshead 388 3.5% 2.8% 5.7% 198 8.3
Sunderland 404 3.5% 2.9% 5.1% 192 9.0
South Tyneside 399 3.3% 2.6% 5.0% 175 9.5

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 143,586 licensed vehicles in Sunderland 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 6,519 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 Sunderland 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.