Licensed motor vehicles
In 2025*, the number of licensed motor vehicles in the Lancashire-12 area was 781,271. Of these 327,797 used diesel for fuel (including 214,493 cars and 84,833 vans). Only 46,847 had hybrid engines using both petrol and electricity.
The 632,960 licensed cars in the Lancashire-12 area accounted for 81.0% of the total number of licensed vehicles in the area (UK = 81.6%).
The total number of licensed motor vehicles in the Lancashire-12 area has risen by 12,485 (1.6%) on the 2024* figure. The increase was the result of 9,575 extra licensed cars (of which 1,497 were registered in Preston), 2,918 more light goods vehicles, 393 more heavy goods vehicles and 123 more vehicles of type 'other'. The number of registered motorcycles fell by 543 overall, but by as many as 606 in West Lancashire. There was a small rise in the number of buses and coaches. Overall the total number of vehicles in the UK rose by about 620,000. The number of diesel fuelled vehicles in the Lancashire-12 area peaked in 2021 but since then this has declined gradually. The number of diesel cars peaked at 245,500 in early 2020.
Please note that significant changes in the number of vehicles from year to year can sometimes occur when companies with large fleets of vehicles change their registered address. The published figures now include an indicator for whether the vehicles are privately or commercially owned, so we can tell if this happens. It appeared to be the case from 2023 to 2024 as 1,034 of the 1,037 fewer registered motorcycles in West Lancashire could be accounted for as being company owned. They are also now published quarterly, so (*) indicates that the 4th quarter of the year is being referred to.
Table 1. Licensed motor vehicles, 2025 (4th quarter)
| Area | Cars | Motorcycles | Light goods vehicles | Heavy goods vehicles | Buses and coaches | Other vehicles (1) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnley | 40,729 | 1,235 | 5,067 | 673 | 105 | 492 | 48,300 |
| Chorley | 63,073 | 3,065 | 9,314 | 835 | 219 | 1,443 | 77,949 |
| Fylde | 47,364 | 1,826 | 5,195 | 569 | 123 | 1,084 | 56,161 |
| Hyndburn | 38,391 | 1,208 | 5,808 | 677 | 185 | 506 | 46,775 |
| Lancaster | 65,942 | 3,317 | 9,623 | 1,141 | 282 | 2,305 | 82,610 |
| Pendle | 44,295 | 1,504 | 6,435 | 670 | 146 | 986 | 54,036 |
| Preston | 68,371 | 1,951 | 8,339 | 1,383 | 204 | 1,251 | 81,500 |
| Ribble Valley | 37,014 | 1,547 | 6,126 | 703 | 88 | 2,310 | 47,788 |
| Rossendale | 36,466 | 1,572 | 5,245 | 490 | 44 | 609 | 44,426 |
| South Ribble | 63,432 | 3,000 | 9,133 | 2,048 | 287 | 1,192 | 79,093 |
| West Lancashire | 63,294 | 3,827 | 9,513 | 3,371 | 297 | 2,932 | 83,234 |
| Wyre | 62,825 | 2,818 | 8,440 | 880 | 119 | 2,314 | 77,396 |
| Lancashire-12(2) | 632,960 | 26,950 | 88,359 | 13,443 | 2,102 | 17,457 | 781,271 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 67,334 | 1,743 | 6,927 | 851 | 257 | 864 | 77,976 |
| Blackpool | 59,048 | 2,352 | 6,662 | 310 | 340 | 833 | 69,545 |
| Lancashire-14(3) | 759,342 | 31,045 | 101,948 | 14,604 | 2,699 | 19,154 | 928,792 |
| North West | 3,724,933 | 120,282 | 505,391 | 61,460 | 14,642 | 72,103 | 4,498,811 |
| England | 28,500,669 | 1,170,653 | 4,008,769 | 444,581 | 115,863 | 652,110 | 34,892,645 |
| United Kingdom | 34,485,453 | 1,360,270 | 4,886,854 | 537,476 | 143,231 | 870,230 | 42,283,514 |
Source: Department for Transport: Vehicle Licensing Statistics (table VEH0105).
(1) Other vehicles includes: diggers, rollers, ambulances, hackney carriages, 3-wheelers, agricultural vehicles, lift trucks.
(2) The Lancashire-12 figure includes a small number of "local authority unknown" vehicles.
(3) The Lancashire-14 figure has been calculated by us by summing the Lancashire-12, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool figures.
Page updated May 2026