East of England · District council

Uttlesford motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
77,839 licensed vehicles in Uttlesford
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 63,817 −0.3% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 588 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 2,805 4.4% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.8% 35th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 156 164 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 12.4% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Uttlesford?

There were 63,817 licensed cars in Uttlesford at the end of March 2026, and 77,839 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 38.3% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 588 for every 1,000 residents, 10th highest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Uttlesford

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Uttlesford at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 56,18546,151
2011 57,35947,071
2012 58,40347,845
2013 59,89048,883
2014 61,36650,077
2015 62,49551,034
2016 64,12152,414
2017 65,70753,631
2018 67,05354,780
2019 68,75556,069
2020 70,29257,534
2021 71,15857,786
2022 72,76358,926
2023 73,50560,049
2024 75,94962,142
2025 78,02863,984
2026 77,83963,817

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, Uttlesford compared
Year UttlesfordEast of EnglandUnited Kingdom
2011 591503
2012 595502
2013 601505
2014 607524
2015 610529473
2016 617537480
2017 626544488
2018 631542490
2019 635541493
2020 624536489
2021 633539493
2022 641532489
2023 649529489
2024 663531490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Uttlesford

55.3% of cars in Uttlesford run on petrol and 28.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 40.0% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.7%, and cars that plug in 7.5%.

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 Uttlesford, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 70.3%29.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2011 68.3%31.1%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2012 66.3%33.1%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2013 64.2%35.2%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 62.2%37.1%0.5%0.0%0.0%
2015 60.6%38.5%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2016 59.6%39.6%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 58.9%40.0%0.6%0.1%0.1%
2018 59.2%39.5%0.8%0.2%0.2%
2019 59.6%38.7%1.0%0.3%0.3%
2020 60.0%37.8%1.2%0.4%0.4%
2021 60.4%36.7%1.6%0.6%0.6%
2022 59.3%35.6%2.6%1.3%1.0%
2023 59.3%33.9%3.4%2.0%1.1%
2024 58.4%32.3%5.0%2.6%1.4%
2025 57.0%29.9%7.2%3.3%2.2%
2026 55.3%28.1%8.7%4.4%3.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Uttlesford

2,805 battery electric cars were licensed in Uttlesford at the end of March 2026, 4.4% of all cars, 69th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 4,769 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,111.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.8% are battery electric (2,141 cars), 6th highest of 45 councils in the East of England. Companies keep 23.7% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 12.4% of its cars overall. There are also 92 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, Uttlesford compared, end of March each year
Year UttlesfordEast of EnglandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.3%0.2%0.2%
2020 0.4%0.3%0.3%
2021 0.6%0.6%0.7%
2022 1.3%1.1%1.3%
2023 2.0%1.7%2.1%
2024 2.6%2.6%3.0%
2025 3.3%3.8%4.1%
2026 4.4%5.2%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Uttlesford

There were 156 public chargers in Uttlesford on 1 July 2026, 94 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 164 for every 100,000 residents, 131st highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 1.3% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 22.5 privately kept plug-in cars in Uttlesford (UK 11.9), 86th 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 Uttlesford by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 15493
Apr 2026 15593
Jul 2026 15694

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Uttlesford compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Uttlesford 16499
Essex 9045
East of England 15049
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Uttlesford has 9 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.5% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.2%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Uttlesford with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Uttlesford 003 6,852 287 4.2% 6.6%
Uttlesford 001 5,199 190 3.7% 6.0%
Uttlesford 005 10,267 370 3.6% 5.8%
Uttlesford 006 7,303 256 3.5% 5.5%
Uttlesford 008 8,196 290 3.5% 6.1%
Uttlesford 007 6,517 223 3.4% 5.4%
Uttlesford 009 6,031 199 3.3% 5.7%
Uttlesford 002 8,005 253 3.2% 4.8%
Uttlesford 004 6,273 176 2.8% 4.9%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026.

Road traffic and collisions in Uttlesford

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Uttlesford, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 16148
2022 15653
2023 16546
2024 18853
2025 15762

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Uttlesford

Unleaded petrol averages 178.4p a litre across 12 filling stations in Uttlesford, 6.7p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.7p, 5.1p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

How Uttlesford compares

Uttlesford compared with Essex, the East of England, England, the UK
Uttlesford 588 4.4% 3.8% 12.4% 164 22.5
Essex 507 3.4% 2.7% 6.0% 90 26.8
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 Essex

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

Councils in Essex
Uttlesford 588 4.4% 3.8% 12.4% 164 22.5
Epping Forest 497 4.1% 3.3% 5.2% 126 24.6
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
Colchester 471 3.3% 2.6% 4.6% 90 22.2
Maldon 598 3.2% 2.6% 3.6% 61 50.6
Braintree 533 3.0% 2.4% 4.0% 89 23.4
Harlow 442 3.0% 2.3% 4.7% 74 22.8
Rochford 549 3.0% 2.6% 4.1% 76 32.5
Tendring 509 2.6% 2.0% 4.9% 84 20.0
Castle Point 531 2.5% 2.0% 3.8% 42 49.8

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 77,839 licensed vehicles in Uttlesford 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 4,957 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 Uttlesford 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.