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Tower Hamlets motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
56,252 licensed vehicles in Tower Hamlets
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 47,225 +1.8% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 127 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 2,325 4.9% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.6% 51st highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 2,574 776 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 10.9% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Tower Hamlets?

There were 47,225 licensed cars in Tower Hamlets at the end of March 2026, and 56,252 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 14.2% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 127 for every 1,000 residents, 2nd lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Tower Hamlets

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Tower Hamlets at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 50,36841,335
2011 50,04740,995
2012 49,59740,159
2013 48,94739,253
2014 50,01640,040
2015 50,58340,809
2016 52,45342,700
2017 53,76643,805
2018 53,63544,098
2019 53,27044,141
2020 53,30144,736
2021 54,30145,735
2022 55,11646,008
2023 54,54645,125
2024 54,93345,528
2025 55,67046,389
2026 56,25247,225

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, Tower Hamlets compared
Year Tower HamletsLondonUnited Kingdom
2011 159313–
2012 152307–
2013 146303–
2014 146303–
2015 147303473
2016 149304480
2017 150306488
2018 148303490
2019 145301493
2020 145296489
2021 148300493
2022 143295489
2023 138290489
2024 138287490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Tower Hamlets

56.6% of cars in Tower Hamlets run on petrol and 16.2% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 34.8% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 15.5%, and cars that plug in 11.2%.

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 Tower Hamlets, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 81.7%17.4%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2011 79.5%19.4%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2012 76.2%22.5%0.9%0.0%0.0%
2013 73.1%25.4%1.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 70.1%27.7%1.8%0.0%0.0%
2015 65.9%30.5%3.1%0.1%0.0%
2016 62.3%32.8%4.4%0.1%0.1%
2017 59.1%34.8%5.5%0.1%0.2%
2018 57.6%34.8%6.7%0.3%0.3%
2019 58.7%31.7%8.3%0.3%0.7%
2020 59.6%28.2%10.0%0.5%1.4%
2021 61.7%24.7%10.5%1.1%1.8%
2022 64.0%19.1%11.5%3.0%2.2%
2023 63.2%19.3%12.5%2.0%2.5%
2024 61.3%18.3%13.4%2.8%3.8%
2025 58.9%17.2%14.4%4.1%5.0%
2026 56.6%16.2%15.5%4.9%6.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Tower Hamlets

2,325 battery electric cars were licensed in Tower Hamlets at the end of March 2026, 4.9% of all cars, 39th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,281 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,884.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.6% are battery electric (1,527 cars), 15th highest of 33 councils in London. Companies keep 34.3% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 10.9% 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, Tower Hamlets compared, end of March each year
Year Tower HamletsLondonUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2018 0.3%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.3%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.5%0.5%0.3%
2021 1.1%0.9%0.7%
2022 3.0%1.8%1.3%
2023 2.0%2.9%2.1%
2024 2.8%4.2%3.0%
2025 4.1%5.4%4.1%
2026 4.9%6.6%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Tower Hamlets

There were 2,574 public chargers in Tower Hamlets on 1 July 2026, 82 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 776 for every 100,000 residents, 3rd highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 1.5% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 1.6 privately kept plug-in cars in Tower Hamlets (UK 11.9), 4th 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 Tower Hamlets by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 2,53746
Apr 2026 2,53948
Jul 2026 2,57482

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Tower Hamlets compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Tower Hamlets 77625
London 34528
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Tower Hamlets has 34 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.6% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 6.8%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Tower Hamlets with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Tower Hamlets 034 647 44 6.8% 13.0%
Tower Hamlets 035 1,094 54 4.9% 11.9%
Tower Hamlets 033 1,076 52 4.8% 10.3%
Tower Hamlets 027 1,201 55 4.6% 8.3%
Tower Hamlets 036 1,011 45 4.5% 9.3%
Tower Hamlets 015 1,229 54 4.4% 10.5%
Tower Hamlets 031 1,984 84 4.2% 9.4%
Tower Hamlets 005 983 40 4.1% 8.3%
Tower Hamlets 017 939 37 3.9% 11.1%
Tower Hamlets 016 1,310 49 3.7% 10.2%
Lowest electric shares
Tower Hamlets 009 998 13 1.3% 9.0%
Tower Hamlets 014 1,978 46 2.3% 9.7%
Tower Hamlets 022 1,078 26 2.4% 10.8%
Tower Hamlets 010 1,232 29 2.4% 7.6%
Tower Hamlets 007 1,063 27 2.5% 6.9%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 6 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Tower Hamlets

Vehicles travelled an estimated 511 million miles on roads in Tower Hamlets in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Tower Hamlets
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 556
1994 560
1995 563
1996 560
1997 569
1998 566
1999 576
2000 593
2001 590
2002 594
2003 602
2004 593
2005 586
2006 610
2007 616
2008 595
2009 590
2010 594
2011 566
2012 540
2013 539
2014 536
2015 527
2016 545
2017 548
2018 546
2019 544
2020 458
2021 500
2022 511
2023 513
2024 520
2025 511

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Tower Hamlets, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 1,114160
2022 1,039167
2023 999151
2024 901149
2025 949154

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Tower Hamlets

Unleaded petrol averages 170.9p a litre across 10 filling stations in Tower Hamlets, 0.8p below the UK average. Diesel averages 195.7p, 1.1p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Texaco Asda Bow Express Petrol London 165.9p
  2. Tesco Bromley by Bow Superstore London 167.9p
  3. Asda Bethnal Green Vallance Road London 168.9p

Every filling station and price in Tower Hamlets

How Tower Hamlets compares

Tower Hamlets compared with London, England, the UK
Tower Hamlets 127 4.9% 3.6% 10.9% 776 1.6
London 263 6.6% 3.7% 9.4% 345 5.5
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 London

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

Councils in London
Westminster 178 55.1% 7.6% 57.8% 1,378 1.7
City of London 79 32.0% 7.8% 55.7% 443 2.5
Hammersmith and Fulham 199 18.3% 5.0% 22.2% 1,380 1.4
Camden 158 9.5% 7.5% 12.3% 378 5.3
Kensington and Chelsea 238 7.4% 6.6% 8.0% 637 4.7
Brent 231 7.1% 3.8% 12.5% 367 4.8
Barnet 321 6.4% 5.2% 7.0% 288 9.6
Islington 132 5.9% 4.5% 11.6% 386 3.5
Richmond upon Thames 358 5.4% 4.5% 5.5% 642 4.8
Harrow 335 5.2% 4.0% 6.1% 120 20.9
Hillingdon 361 5.2% 3.2% 15.5% 121 19.8
Merton 293 5.0% 4.1% 5.6% 436 5.3
Southwark 161 5.0% 4.2% 8.1% 618 2.0
Wandsworth 214 5.0% 4.2% 5.0% 532 3.4
Kingston upon Thames 353 4.9% 4.2% 3.9% 242 10.8
Tower Hamlets 127 4.9% 3.6% 10.9% 776 1.6
Ealing 272 4.6% 3.5% 7.5% 264 7.2
Hackney 137 4.5% 3.3% 10.4% 638 1.5
Haringey 213 4.5% 3.5% 8.7% 135 10.7
Lambeth 176 4.4% 3.6% 6.5% 244 5.2
Redbridge 301 4.4% 3.5% 7.1% 198 11.5
Barking and Dagenham 262 4.2% 2.9% 8.4% 100 18.6
Bromley 407 4.2% 3.5% 4.3% 67 39.1
Croydon 316 4.1% 3.3% 5.4% 153 12.9
Hounslow 299 4.1% 3.1% 6.7% 233 8.7
Sutton 377 4.0% 3.3% 4.2% 118 19.8
Greenwich 238 3.9% 3.2% 6.3% 101 14.8
Havering 387 3.6% 2.7% 6.0% 95 23.6
Newham 167 3.6% 2.8% 9.3% 159 7.6
Waltham Forest 250 3.5% 2.7% 7.6% 663 2.1
Enfield 333 3.4% 2.7% 6.8% 137 17.3
Lewisham 232 3.4% 2.9% 5.6% 133 11.4
Bexley 381 3.3% 2.8% 6.2% 269 7.5

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 56,252 licensed vehicles in Tower Hamlets 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 6,786 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 Tower Hamlets 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.