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Tyne and Wear motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
548,339 licensed vehicles in Tyne and Wear
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 473,374 +1.7% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 377 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 16,202 3.4% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.7% UK 2.8%
  • Public chargers 1,745 148 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 6.1% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Tyne and Wear?

There were 473,374 licensed cars in Tyne and Wear at the end of March 2026, and 548,339 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 20.0% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 377 for every 1,000 residents (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Tyne and Wear

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Tyne and Wear at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 460,133394,491
2011 461,139395,494
2012 455,709393,584
2013 454,206395,139
2014 460,954401,643
2015 469,008407,854
2016 479,479416,455
2017 488,579423,459
2018 492,711427,340
2019 501,696435,259
2020 509,582444,196
2021 512,735444,036
2022 518,433446,760
2023 520,931449,396
2024 530,203457,874
2025 539,207465,398
2026 548,339473,374

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, Tyne and Wear compared
Year Tyne and WearNorth EastUnited Kingdom
2011 358401–
2012 356402–
2013 358405–
2014 363411–
2015 368415473
2016 373420480
2017 380426488
2018 383429490
2019 389435493
2020 390436489
2021 398442493
2022 392439489
2023 389438489
2024 391439490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Tyne and Wear

55.1% of cars in Tyne and Wear run on petrol and 31.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.5% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.0%, and cars that plug in 4.9%.

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 Tyne and Wear, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 74.0%25.7%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 72.1%27.6%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 70.1%29.6%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2013 68.2%31.5%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2014 66.1%33.4%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 64.2%35.3%0.3%0.1%0.0%
2016 62.3%37.0%0.4%0.2%0.1%
2017 60.7%38.6%0.5%0.2%0.1%
2018 59.6%39.5%0.6%0.2%0.1%
2019 59.4%39.4%0.8%0.2%0.2%
2020 59.4%39.2%0.9%0.2%0.2%
2021 59.0%39.0%1.3%0.3%0.3%
2022 58.4%38.3%2.0%0.6%0.4%
2023 58.0%37.2%2.9%1.0%0.6%
2024 57.4%35.7%4.2%1.6%0.8%
2025 56.4%33.8%6.0%2.4%1.1%
2026 55.1%31.5%8.0%3.4%1.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Tyne and Wear

16,202 battery electric cars were licensed in Tyne and Wear at the end of March 2026, 3.4% of all cars. With plug-in hybrids, 23,420 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 11,099.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.7% are battery electric (11,836 cars). Companies keep 26.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 6.1% of its cars overall. There are also 809 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, Tyne and Wear compared, end of March each year
Year Tyne and WearNorth 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%0.3%
2021 0.3%0.3%0.7%
2022 0.6%0.6%1.3%
2023 1.0%1.0%2.1%
2024 1.6%1.5%3.0%
2025 2.4%2.3%4.1%
2026 3.4%3.3%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Tyne and Wear

There were 1,745 public chargers in Tyne and Wear on 1 July 2026, 474 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 148 for every 100,000 residents, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 15.9% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 11.0 privately kept plug-in cars in Tyne and Wear (UK 11.9). A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.

Public chargers

Public EV chargers in Tyne and Wear by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 1,506402
Apr 2026 1,633449
Jul 2026 1,745474

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

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

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Petrol and diesel prices in Tyne and Wear

Unleaded petrol averages 170.6p a litre across 111 filling stations in Tyne and Wear, 1.1p below the UK average. Diesel averages 194.1p, 0.5p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Tesco Houghton Le Spring Houghton Le Spring 159.9p
  2. Costco Wholesale Gateshead Gateshead 160.9p
  3. Esso Hedworth Services Jarrow 161.5p

Every filling station and price in Tyne and Wear

How Tyne and Wear compares

Tyne and Wear compared with the North East, England, the UK
Tyne and Wear 377 3.4% 2.7% 6.1% 148 11.0
North East 422 3.3% 2.7% 5.9% 150 11.8
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 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 312 3.8% 2.8% 8.0% 122 11.2
North Tyneside 417 3.7% 3.0% 6.3% 62 28.7
Gateshead 385 3.2% 2.5% 5.7% 198 7.9
Sunderland 402 3.2% 2.5% 5.2% 192 8.3
South Tyneside 398 3.0% 2.3% 5.1% 175 11.1

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 548,339 licensed vehicles in Tyne and Wear 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 24,597 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
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Tyne and Wear 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.
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.