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Yorkshire and the Humber · Unitary authority

York motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
105,907 licensed vehicles in York
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 87,551 +1.4% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 397 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 3,585 4.1% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 3.3% 145th highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 242 116 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.2% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in York?

There were 87,551 licensed cars in York at the end of June 2026, and 105,907 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 10.8% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 397 for every 1,000 residents, 72nd lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in York

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in York at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 93,61379,040
2011 94,00379,468
2012 94,18479,845
2013 95,53681,009
2014 96,86682,010
2015 97,49582,618
2016 98,89983,653
2017 100,93085,313
2018 101,11385,343
2019 102,92486,818
2020 101,32385,501
2021 103,15886,359
2022 102,23085,376
2023 101,63384,575
2024 103,70585,617
2025 104,39286,363
2026 105,90787,551

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.

Cars per 1,000 residents at mid-year, York compared
Year YorkYorkshire and the HumberUnited Kingdom
2011 402427–
2012 401427–
2013 403429–
2014 406429–
2015 407433473
2016 412442480
2017 419450488
2018 419456490
2019 426464493
2020 423463489
2021 428470493
2022 417469489
2023 409469489
2024 409472490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in York

56.5% of cars in York run on petrol and 27.4% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 37.0% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 9.2%, and cars that plug in 6.6%.

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.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in York, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 73.2%26.5%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 71.3%28.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 69.6%30.0%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 67.8%31.7%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2014 66.0%33.4%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2015 64.3%34.9%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2016 62.9%36.2%0.7%0.1%0.1%
2017 61.8%37.0%0.9%0.1%0.1%
2018 61.7%36.7%1.2%0.1%0.2%
2019 61.7%36.4%1.4%0.1%0.3%
2020 61.6%36.1%1.6%0.2%0.3%
2021 61.1%35.3%2.4%0.5%0.6%
2022 60.3%34.5%3.3%1.0%0.8%
2023 60.0%33.3%4.1%1.5%0.9%
2024 59.0%31.8%5.6%2.1%1.2%
2025 57.8%29.8%7.4%2.9%1.7%
2026 56.5%27.4%9.2%4.1%2.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in York

3,585 battery electric cars were licensed in York at the end of June 2026, 4.1% of all cars, 145th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 5,744 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,541.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 3.3% are battery electric (2,733 cars), 2nd highest of 15 councils in the Yorkshire and the Humber. Companies keep 23.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.2% of its cars overall. There are also 302 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, York compared, end of March each year
Year YorkYorkshire and the HumberUnited 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%0.3%0.4%
2021 0.5%0.7%0.8%
2022 1.0%1.4%1.5%
2023 1.5%2.2%2.3%
2024 2.1%3.0%3.2%
2025 2.9%4.1%4.4%
2026 4.1%5.5%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in York

There were 242 public chargers in York on 1 July 2026, 92 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 116 for every 100,000 residents, 123rd lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 5.1% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 17.8 privately kept plug-in cars in York (UK 12.9), 173rd 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 York by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 25577
Apr 2026 25592
Jul 2026 24292

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, York compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
York 11644
Yorkshire and the Humber 11137
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

York has 24 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.9% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 4.6%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in York with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
York 011 4,326 199 4.6% 7.3%
York 020 4,541 178 3.9% 6.0%
York 021 3,890 151 3.9% 6.0%
York 023 3,203 119 3.7% 5.9%
York 001 4,532 160 3.5% 5.1%
York 006 5,181 175 3.4% 5.4%
York 024 5,393 184 3.4% 5.9%
York 008 5,231 166 3.2% 4.9%
York 014 3,817 121 3.2% 4.5%
York 007 4,025 121 3.0% 5.2%
Lowest electric shares
York 015 2,925 54 1.8% 3.1%
York 013 2,746 56 2.0% 3.6%
York 005 3,696 73 2.0% 3.4%
York 002 3,390 74 2.2% 3.9%
York 019 3,456 81 2.3% 3.9%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 2 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in York

Vehicles travelled an estimated 846 million miles on roads in York in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in York
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 629
1994 645
1995 659
1996 675
1997 683
1998 691
1999 713
2000 726
2001 734
2002 740
2003 759
2004 756
2005 750
2006 765
2007 768
2008 753
2009 743
2010 737
2011 734
2012 742
2013 745
2014 768
2015 780
2016 807
2017 833
2018 847
2019 858
2020 665
2021 739
2022 804
2023 823
2024 827
2025 846

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in York, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 29956
2022 29752
2023 31479
2024 30456
2025 31380

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in York

Unleaded petrol averages 170.3p a litre across 15 filling stations in York, 1.2p below the UK average. Diesel averages 195.1p, 3.6p below the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. MFG Morrisons York Foss Islands Road York 166.9p
  2. Tesco Askham Bar Extra York 167.9p
  3. Tesco York Extra York 167.9p

Every filling station and price in York

How York compares

York compared with the Yorkshire and the Humber, England, the UK
York 397 4.1% 3.3% 5.2% 116 17.8
Yorkshire and the Humber 440 5.5% 3.0% 9.2% 111 19.6
England 440 6.2% 3.2% 10.7% 173 13.4
United Kingdom4445.8%3.1%10.0%17512.9

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 June 2026.

Driving test centres in York

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in York, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 54.4% at York.

Other centres in the Yorkshire and the Humber:

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 the Yorkshire and the Humber

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

Councils in the Yorkshire and the Humber
Leeds 384 14.5% 3.2% 27.5% 138 14.8
Doncaster 474 4.5% 3.4% 6.7% 97 26.1
North Yorkshire 531 4.2% 3.3% 5.3% 175 16.4
York 397 4.1% 3.3% 5.2% 116 17.8
Rotherham 469 4.0% 3.3% 5.0% 132 17.8
East Riding of Yorkshire 532 3.9% 3.3% 4.3% 113 25.5
Sheffield 382 3.9% 3.0% 7.3% 91 19.4
Barnsley 468 3.8% 3.0% 5.1% 83 26.9
Kirklees 443 3.6% 3.0% 5.1% 61 36.1
Wakefield 461 3.6% 2.9% 5.7% 98 22.0
Calderdale 441 3.4% 2.8% 5.4% 101 21.5
North Lincolnshire 519 3.3% 2.6% 4.7% 105 21.3
Bradford 390 3.1% 2.6% 6.4% 99 18.0
North East Lincolnshire 448 2.9% 2.3% 5.4% 70 25.6
Kingston upon Hull 359 2.7% 2.0% 6.1% 89 12.7

Data stories to read next

All insights

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 105,907 licensed vehicles in York 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 6,152 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 York 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.