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Thurrock motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
106,229 licensed vehicles in Thurrock
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 86,897 +1.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 455 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 2,660 3.1% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.4% 122nd lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 208 115 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.2% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Thurrock?

There were 86,897 licensed cars in Thurrock at the end of March 2026, and 106,229 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 21.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 455 for every 1,000 residents, 119th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Thurrock

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Thurrock at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 87,09771,637
2011 87,94572,290
2012 88,24472,764
2013 89,28673,631
2014 91,39275,473
2015 93,32376,917
2016 96,86079,609
2017 99,43481,514
2018 99,77082,203
2019 100,39383,372
2020 101,49784,506
2021 101,68083,826
2022 102,54283,782
2023 103,32483,960
2024 104,25285,181
2025 105,07685,806
2026 106,22986,897

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Licensed vehicles by type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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, Thurrock compared
Year ThurrockEast of EnglandUnited Kingdom
2011 460503–
2012 457502–
2013 460505–
2014 464524–
2015 467529473
2016 474537480
2017 478544488
2018 477542490
2019 480541493
2020 476536489
2021 479539493
2022 476532489
2023 471529489
2024 473531490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Thurrock

59.4% of cars in Thurrock run on petrol and 25.7% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 37.0% in 2019. 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 March 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 Thurrock, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 77.4%22.3%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 75.7%24.0%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 73.7%25.9%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 71.8%27.7%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 69.8%29.7%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 67.8%31.6%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2016 65.7%33.5%0.5%0.1%0.0%
2017 63.7%35.4%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2018 62.2%36.7%0.8%0.1%0.1%
2019 61.5%37.0%1.1%0.1%0.1%
2020 61.2%36.9%1.4%0.2%0.2%
2021 60.8%36.5%1.8%0.3%0.4%
2022 60.8%35.2%2.6%0.6%0.7%
2023 61.4%32.9%3.5%0.9%1.0%
2024 62.0%29.6%5.2%1.4%1.4%
2025 61.1%27.3%7.1%2.2%1.9%
2026 59.4%25.7%8.8%3.1%2.6%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Thurrock

2,660 battery electric cars were licensed in Thurrock at the end of March 2026, 3.1% of all cars, 128th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,919 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,858.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.4% are battery electric (1,946 cars), 19th lowest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 26.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.2% of its cars overall. There are also 208 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, Thurrock compared, end of March each year
Year ThurrockEast of EnglandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.2%0.3%0.3%
2021 0.3%0.6%0.7%
2022 0.6%1.1%1.3%
2023 0.9%1.7%2.1%
2024 1.4%2.6%3.0%
2025 2.2%3.8%4.1%
2026 3.1%5.2%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Thurrock

There were 208 public chargers in Thurrock on 1 July 2026, 104 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 115 for every 100,000 residents, 120th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 0.0% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 19.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Thurrock (UK 11.9), 125th 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 Thurrock by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 208102
Apr 2026 203102
Jul 2026 208104

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Thurrock compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Thurrock 11558
East of England 15049
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Thurrock has 20 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, 3.9%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Thurrock with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Thurrock 020 4,346 169 3.9% 7.5%
Thurrock 010 3,872 111 2.9% 5.4%
Thurrock 019 3,279 96 2.9% 6.3%
Thurrock 006 6,596 182 2.8% 4.8%
Thurrock 008 5,176 143 2.8% 5.0%
Thurrock 022 4,110 110 2.7% 5.6%
Thurrock 004 4,707 119 2.5% 5.4%
Thurrock 013 4,266 104 2.4% 4.2%
Thurrock 021 3,124 67 2.1% 4.6%
Thurrock 007 4,878 96 2.0% 3.9%
Lowest electric shares
Thurrock 002 4,070 29 0.7% 2.5%
Thurrock 003 3,963 60 1.5% 3.1%
Thurrock 017 3,591 62 1.7% 4.1%
Thurrock 014 4,149 72 1.7% 4.3%
Thurrock 012 5,581 94 1.7% 3.7%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 1 neighbourhood is left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Thurrock

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,177 million miles on roads in Thurrock in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Thurrock
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 776
1994 792
1995 811
1996 831
1997 852
1998 868
1999 908
2000 949
2001 959
2002 996
2003 959
2004 986
2005 981
2006 988
2007 1,015
2008 1,027
2009 1,005
2010 988
2011 993
2012 989
2013 991
2014 1,019
2015 1,036
2016 1,055
2017 1,119
2018 1,116
2019 1,114
2020 953
2021 1,000
2022 1,090
2023 1,114
2024 1,129
2025 1,177

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Thurrock, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 28754
2022 26870
2023 26967
2024 21842
2025 26078

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Thurrock

Unleaded petrol averages 171.2p a litre across 20 filling stations in Thurrock, 0.5p below the UK average. Diesel averages 192.5p, 2.1p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Costco Wholesale Thurrock West Thurrock 163.9p
  2. Sainsbury's Chafford Hundred Grays 166.9p
  3. Asda Tilbury Superstore Tilbury 167.9p

Every filling station and price in Thurrock

How Thurrock compares

Thurrock compared with the East of England, England, the UK
Thurrock 455 3.1% 2.4% 5.2% 115 19.3
East of England 497 5.2% 2.9% 8.6% 150 15.7
England 437 5.8% 2.9% 10.6% 173 12.4
United Kingdom4415.4%2.8%9.9%17511.9

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 March 2026.

Councils in the East of England

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

Councils in the East of England
Peterborough 427 28.7% 2.3% 59.8% 129 12.8
South Cambridgeshire 543 5.5% 4.9% 3.5% 205 17.9
Hertsmere 467 5.4% 4.1% 6.5% 229 15.8
St Albans 500 5.4% 4.6% 3.7% 111 41.3
Three Rivers 511 4.8% 3.9% 4.2% 161 16.7
Cambridge 270 4.7% 4.0% 3.8% 313 5.8
Huntingdonshire 545 4.6% 3.5% 8.4% 175 18.8
North Hertfordshire 512 4.4% 3.6% 4.3% 117 27.6
Uttlesford 588 4.4% 3.8% 12.4% 164 22.5
Central Bedfordshire 539 4.3% 3.6% 4.4% 168 15.3
Bedford 481 4.1% 3.2% 6.8% 149 16.3
East Hertfordshire 526 4.1% 3.4% 4.0% 135 22.2
Epping Forest 497 4.1% 3.3% 5.2% 126 24.6
Welwyn Hatfield 455 4.1% 3.3% 5.4% 350 6.5
East Cambridgeshire 562 4.0% 3.5% 3.7% 90 29.8
Dacorum 505 3.9% 3.2% 4.0% 159 17.1
Watford 397 3.9% 2.9% 5.2% 563 3.2
Brentwood 499 3.8% 2.9% 4.6% 97 33.7
Basildon 459 3.7% 2.3% 12.1% 62 35.9
Chelmsford 502 3.7% 3.1% 4.7% 105 25.7
South Norfolk 568 3.6% 3.1% 4.1% 131 18.5
Mid Suffolk 605 3.5% 2.9% 4.6% 135 19.8
Broadland 571 3.3% 2.8% 3.9% 116 22.1
Colchester 471 3.3% 2.6% 4.6% 90 22.2
Maldon 598 3.2% 2.6% 3.6% 61 50.6
Breckland 553 3.1% 2.4% 4.3% 114 18.4
Broxbourne 484 3.1% 2.5% 4.6% 153 14.8
Thurrock 455 3.1% 2.4% 5.2% 115 19.3
Babergh 584 3.0% 2.6% 3.2% 164 14.1
Braintree 533 3.0% 2.4% 4.0% 89 23.4
East Suffolk 547 3.0% 2.4% 4.3% 143 16.0
Harlow 442 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 74 22.8
Rochford 549 3.0% 2.6% 4.1% 76 32.5
King's Lynn and West Norfolk 535 2.9% 2.3% 4.1% 172 12.1
West Suffolk 544 2.9% 2.4% 4.5% 236 10.6
Stevenage 449 2.8% 2.2% 4.3% 194 8.6
Fenland 535 2.7% 2.1% 4.3% 53 34.3
Norwich 350 2.7% 1.6% 5.7% 196 4.7
Luton 375 2.6% 2.1% 5.1% 65 25.1
North Norfolk 569 2.6% 2.2% 3.5% 225 8.0
Tendring 509 2.6% 2.0% 4.9% 84 20.0
Castle Point 531 2.5% 2.0% 3.8% 42 49.8
Ipswich 444 2.5% 1.7% 4.9% 294 4.9
Southend-on-Sea 428 2.5% 2.0% 3.9% 51 29.2
Great Yarmouth 470 2.3% 1.7% 4.7% 211 6.3

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 106,229 licensed vehicles in Thurrock 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 5,293 plug-in vehicles 15 September 2026
Public chargers Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport 1 July 2026 121,171 public chargers (UK) 15 September 2026
Population Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics Mid-2024 404 areas 15 September 2026
Neighbourhoods Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales 15 September 2026
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Thurrock 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.