Electric car sales to private consumers have plunged by a fifth amid growing concerns that the industry will miss its legal net zero targets. A total of 22,717 electric cars were registered in April, an increase of 10.7pc compared to a year earlier, but this was overwhelmingly driven by businesses. Sales to private consumers made up just 15.6pc of this, down from 22.1pc in 2023, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The actual number of electric cars sold to private consumers fell from 4,535 to 3,544, a drop of 22pc. On Tuesday, the SMMT warned that electric vehicles (EVs) were now facing a “diminishing market share” with manufacturers set to significantly miss new sales targets put in force by the Government. In April, overall EV market share among businesses and consumers rose from 15.4pc to 16.9pc on an annual basis. The SMMT is forecasting that of two million cars set to be registered in 2024, just 19.8pc will be electric – down from a previous estimate of 21pc. That means at least some car makers are on course to miss the target set by the Government’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires at least 22pc of...