North West · Metropolitan borough
Wirral motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Wirral, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Wirral compares with the North West. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 159,065 +1.0% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 455 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 5,970 3.8% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 3.1% 172nd highest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 234 71 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 5.8% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in Wirral?
There were 159,065 licensed cars in Wirral at the end of June 2026, and 198,744 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 13.1% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 455 for every 1,000 residents, 115th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in Wirral
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 163,032 | 140,636 |
| 2011 | 164,430 | 140,071 |
| 2012 | 164,001 | 139,953 |
| 2013 | 165,414 | 141,174 |
| 2014 | 168,595 | 143,320 |
| 2015 | 171,306 | 144,492 |
| 2016 | 173,332 | 145,571 |
| 2017 | 175,772 | 147,297 |
| 2018 | 177,846 | 148,981 |
| 2019 | 181,080 | 150,791 |
| 2020 | 180,920 | 150,261 |
| 2021 | 187,060 | 151,969 |
| 2022 | 190,624 | 152,892 |
| 2023 | 192,941 | 154,251 |
| 2024 | 195,616 | 155,822 |
| 2025 | 196,358 | 157,511 |
| 2026 | 198,744 | 159,065 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Licensed vehicles by type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 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 | Wirral | North West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 438 | 429 | – |
| 2012 | 437 | 425 | – |
| 2013 | 441 | 428 | – |
| 2014 | 447 | 433 | – |
| 2015 | 451 | 435 | 473 |
| 2016 | 454 | 438 | 480 |
| 2017 | 459 | 440 | 488 |
| 2018 | 465 | 443 | 490 |
| 2019 | 470 | 448 | 493 |
| 2020 | 469 | 446 | 489 |
| 2021 | 474 | 477 | 493 |
| 2022 | 474 | 472 | 489 |
| 2023 | 474 | 472 | 489 |
| 2024 | 474 | 474 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Wirral
58.3% of cars in Wirral run on petrol and 27.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 34.6% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.2%, and cars that plug in 5.5%.
Cars by fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 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 | 77.4% | 22.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 75.4% | 24.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 73.6% | 25.9% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 71.9% | 27.6% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 69.7% | 29.6% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 67.8% | 31.4% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 66.0% | 33.2% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 64.9% | 34.1% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 64.1% | 34.6% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 63.9% | 34.6% | 1.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2020 | 63.6% | 34.6% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 63.1% | 34.2% | 1.9% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2022 | 62.4% | 33.6% | 2.7% | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| 2023 | 61.8% | 32.7% | 3.5% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| 2024 | 61.0% | 31.3% | 4.9% | 1.6% | 0.8% |
| 2025 | 59.8% | 29.6% | 6.4% | 2.6% | 1.2% |
| 2026 | 58.3% | 27.5% | 8.2% | 3.8% | 1.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Wirral
5,970 battery electric cars were licensed in Wirral at the end of June 2026, 3.8% of all cars, 177th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 8,776 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 4,063.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.1% are battery electric (4,661 cars), 15th highest of 35 councils in the North West. Companies keep 21.9% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.8% of its cars overall. There are also 228 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 | Wirral | North West | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | 2.9% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 1.6% | 4.1% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.6% | 5.3% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 3.8% | 6.6% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Wirral
There were 234 public chargers in Wirral on 1 July 2026, 80 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 71 for every 100,000 residents, 41st lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 8.3% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 30.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Wirral (UK 12.9), 42nd most of 361 councils. 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 | 216 | 66 |
| Apr 2026 | 210 | 68 |
| Jul 2026 | 234 | 80 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Wirral | 71 | 24 |
| Merseyside | 111 | 26 |
| North West | 112 | 40 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Wirral has 42 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.0% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.6%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wirral 040 | 6,391 | 296 | 4.6% | |
| Wirral 038 | 4,658 | 190 | 4.1% | |
| Wirral 018 | 4,886 | 185 | 3.8% | |
| Wirral 041 | 4,403 | 169 | 3.8% | |
| Wirral 020 | 4,247 | 151 | 3.6% | |
| Wirral 028 | 4,863 | 176 | 3.6% | |
| Wirral 012 | 4,423 | 153 | 3.5% | |
| Wirral 032 | 4,128 | 144 | 3.5% | |
| Wirral 034 | 4,791 | 170 | 3.5% | |
| Wirral 006 | 3,948 | 136 | 3.4% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Wirral 008 | 2,313 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Wirral 025 | 2,822 | 23 | 0.8% | |
| Wirral 021 | 3,285 | 32 | 1.0% | |
| Wirral 016 | 2,436 | 25 | 1.0% | |
| Wirral 010 | 3,102 | 31 | 1.0% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026.
Road traffic and collisions in Wirral
Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,118 million miles on roads in Wirral in 2025.
Traffic on all roads
| Year | Million vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 877 |
| 1994 | 886 |
| 1995 | 900 |
| 1996 | 921 |
| 1997 | 940 |
| 1998 | 966 |
| 1999 | 977 |
| 2000 | 976 |
| 2001 | 985 |
| 2002 | 1,026 |
| 2003 | 1,020 |
| 2004 | 1,027 |
| 2005 | 1,069 |
| 2006 | 1,048 |
| 2007 | 1,065 |
| 2008 | 1,044 |
| 2009 | 1,019 |
| 2010 | 1,005 |
| 2011 | 1,024 |
| 2012 | 1,014 |
| 2013 | 1,014 |
| 2014 | 1,046 |
| 2015 | 1,069 |
| 2016 | 1,075 |
| 2017 | 1,068 |
| 2018 | 1,072 |
| 2019 | 1,090 |
| 2020 | 896 |
| 2021 | 991 |
| 2022 | 1,049 |
| 2023 | 1,100 |
| 2024 | 1,105 |
| 2025 | 1,118 |
Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 415 | 116 |
| 2022 | 437 | 126 |
| 2023 | 401 | 128 |
| 2024 | 342 | 107 |
| 2025 | 343 | 104 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Wirral
Unleaded petrol averages 174.0p a litre across 21 filling stations in Wirral, 2.5p above the UK average. Diesel averages 199.5p, 0.8p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Asda Bromborough Superstore Bromborough 169.9p
- BP Old Hall Service Station Wirral 169.9p
- Valero MFG Bebington Bebington 169.9p
How Wirral compares
| Wirral | 455 | 3.8% | 71 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merseyside | 390 | 3.8% | 111 |
| North West | 430 | 6.6% | 112 |
| England | 440 | 6.2% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 444 | 5.8% | 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 June 2026.
Driving test centres in Wirral
There are 2 DVSA car practical test centres in Wirral, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 54.3% at Wallasey.
Other centres in Merseyside:
- Southport (Liverpool) 56.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- St Helens (Liverpool) 40.9% pass rate, 2025/26
- Speke (Liverpool) 40.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Norris Green (Liverpool) 37.9% pass rate, 2025/26
DVSA publishes pass rates by centre name, with no address, so centres are placed here by the place name in the name DVSA uses. See pass rates at every test centre.
Councils in Merseyside
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 198,744 licensed vehicles in Wirral | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 9,191 plug-in vehicles | 26 October 2026 |
| Public chargers | Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport | 1 July 2026 | 121,171 public chargers (UK) | 26 October 2026 |
| Population | Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics | Mid-2024 | 404 areas | 26 October 2026 |
| Neighbourhoods | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales | 26 October 2026 |
- Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Wirral 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.