Stage 1 remapping in Chatham
At the 2021 Census, driving was how most of Chatham's workers got to work: 54.8% of working residents in the Chatham built-up area drove, well above the 45.1% for England and Wales, and 7.8% travelled 30 km or more, against 4.4%. For drivers who take the car to work, Stage 1 remapping is less about speed than about how easily the car gets through the journey. On a diesel the gain is mid-range torque, so the engine responds more readily when accelerating onto a faster road. A car with a fault, such as a DPF, EGR or injector problem, is put right before any remap, so mention any warning lights early on.
Vehicles and driving in Chatham
- Privately kept cars in Medway
- 134,818: 28% diesel, 60% petrol (council area, June 2026)
- Privately kept vans in Medway
- 9,337, 95% of them diesel
- Drive to work (2021)
- 54.8% of working residents drive a car or van to work (England and Wales: 45.1%)
- Long commutes (2021)
- 7.8% travel 30 km or more to work (England and Wales: 4.4%)
- Households with two or more cars or vans (2021)
- 38.5% (England and Wales: 35.4%)
- Postcode districts
- ME5, ME4, ME7, ME1
- Main roads
- M2, A229, A228, A230, A2, A231, A289, A278
- Population
- About 77,000 (Medway)
Driving in and around Chatham
Moto Medway Services on the M2 is 5.6 km from Chatham, and RoadChef Maidstone on the M20 12 km. The A229 and A2 both serve the town, with the A228, A230 and A231. Gillingham is 3.4 km away, Snodland 7.3 km and Maidstone 10.2 km. In the Medway council area at the end of June 2026, 27.7% of privately kept cars were diesel, a little below England's 29.1%. In 2025 MOT tests across ME postcodes, the Ford Kuga and Ford Focus were among the most tested diesel cars, behind the Volkswagen Golf. On a Kuga loaded with passengers and luggage, a Stage 1 remap shows as easier joins onto the M2, and a family car that pulls more willingly from low revs is less tiring on a long run.
Who does the remap in Chatham
An independent mobile technician from our national network does the remap at your home or workplace, booked and managed by us. Call with your reg and postcode and we'll tell you straight whether we can cover Chatham.
Diagnostics before and after, a remap file matched to your vehicle, repair only: no DPF, EGR or AdBlue deletes.
Common diesels in ME postcodes
AdBlue warning on? Repair comes before any remap: AdBlue repair in Chatham
Frequently Asked Questions
We check on the phone who can get to you in Chatham before anything is booked.
We give you the price on the phone once we know your vehicle.
Stage 1 remapping near Chatham
Distances below are in a straight line.
Sources: DfT VEH0105 (privately kept vehicles), Census 2021 (ONS) for Chatham built-up area (taken in lockdown), DVSA MOT results 2025 (diesels, by test station postcode area), OpenStreetMap (ODbL) and postcodes.io. Public sector information under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Updated 30 October 2026.