Yorkshire and the Humber · County
West Yorkshire motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in West Yorkshire, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how West Yorkshire compares with the Yorkshire and the Humber. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 1,159,388 +1.2% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 410 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 81,136 7.0% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.6% UK 2.8%
- Public chargers 2,571 106 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 13.9% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in West Yorkshire?
There were 1,159,388 licensed cars in West Yorkshire at the end of March 2026, and 1,393,049 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 25.9% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 410 for every 1,000 residents (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in West Yorkshire
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,088,395 | 920,958 |
| 2011 | 1,092,618 | 926,701 |
| 2012 | 1,094,110 | 929,384 |
| 2013 | 1,101,168 | 935,879 |
| 2014 | 1,085,390 | 920,388 |
| 2015 | 1,102,088 | 933,644 |
| 2016 | 1,139,033 | 963,139 |
| 2017 | 1,181,255 | 1,000,554 |
| 2018 | 1,207,993 | 1,023,650 |
| 2019 | 1,245,303 | 1,053,503 |
| 2020 | 1,274,422 | 1,079,773 |
| 2021 | 1,271,527 | 1,069,971 |
| 2022 | 1,305,490 | 1,091,389 |
| 2023 | 1,336,072 | 1,115,115 |
| 2024 | 1,357,530 | 1,130,488 |
| 2025 | 1,375,943 | 1,145,323 |
| 2026 | 1,393,049 | 1,159,388 |
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.
| Year | West Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 417 | 427 | – |
| 2012 | 416 | 427 | – |
| 2013 | 418 | 429 | – |
| 2014 | 409 | 429 | – |
| 2015 | 413 | 433 | 473 |
| 2016 | 427 | 442 | 480 |
| 2017 | 435 | 450 | 488 |
| 2018 | 445 | 456 | 490 |
| 2019 | 454 | 464 | 493 |
| 2020 | 454 | 463 | 489 |
| 2021 | 460 | 470 | 493 |
| 2022 | 463 | 469 | 489 |
| 2023 | 465 | 469 | 489 |
| 2024 | 467 | 472 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in West Yorkshire
49.4% of cars in West Yorkshire run on petrol and 30.0% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 43.0% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 9.7%, and cars that plug in 10.5%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 68.6% | 31.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 66.5% | 33.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 64.4% | 35.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 62.4% | 37.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 62.1% | 37.2% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 60.5% | 38.7% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 58.3% | 40.7% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 56.3% | 42.4% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2018 | 55.4% | 43.0% | 1.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| 2019 | 55.5% | 42.4% | 1.4% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| 2020 | 55.8% | 41.2% | 1.8% | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| 2021 | 55.7% | 39.6% | 2.5% | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| 2022 | 54.6% | 37.5% | 3.7% | 2.0% | 1.6% |
| 2023 | 53.6% | 35.5% | 5.0% | 3.2% | 2.0% |
| 2024 | 52.5% | 33.7% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 2.5% |
| 2025 | 51.0% | 31.8% | 8.0% | 5.7% | 2.9% |
| 2026 | 49.4% | 30.0% | 9.7% | 7.0% | 3.5% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in West Yorkshire
81,136 battery electric cars were licensed in West Yorkshire at the end of March 2026, 7.0% of all cars. With plug-in hybrids, 122,158 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 64,853.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.6% are battery electric (26,241 cars). Companies keep 67.7% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 13.9% of its cars overall. There are also 3,747 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.
| Year | West Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 2.0% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | 2.0% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 4.2% | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 5.7% | 3.9% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 7.0% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in West Yorkshire
There were 2,571 public chargers in West Yorkshire on 1 July 2026, 929 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 106 for every 100,000 residents, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 5.4% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 17.7 privately kept plug-in cars in West Yorkshire (UK 11.9). A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.
Public chargers
| Date | All public chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 2,440 | 826 |
| Apr 2026 | 2,513 | 855 |
| Jul 2026 | 2,571 | 929 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| West Yorkshire | 106 | 38 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 111 | 37 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in West Yorkshire
Unleaded petrol averages 169.7p a litre across 249 filling stations in West Yorkshire, 2.0p below the UK average. Diesel averages 193.1p, 1.5p below the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Asda Dewsbury Superstore Dewsbury 159.7p
- Tesco Batley Extra Batley 159.9p
- Costco Wholesale Leeds Leeds 160.9p
How West Yorkshire compares
| West Yorkshire | 410 | 7.0% | 106 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 437 | 5.0% | 111 |
| England | 437 | 5.8% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 441 | 5.4% | 175 |
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 West Yorkshire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Leeds | 381 | 13.3% | 138 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirklees | 440 | 3.3% | 61 |
| Wakefield | 458 | 3.3% | 98 |
| Calderdale | 438 | 3.1% | 101 |
| Bradford | 386 | 2.9% | 99 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 1,393,049 licensed vehicles in West Yorkshire | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 127,621 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 West Yorkshire 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.
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.