Automotive trade association the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and major car makers are calling on the government to introduce electric vehicle (EV) subsidies to stimulate demand.

UK electric car sales hit a record high in September, according to the latest figures from the trade association, which represents the UK’s automotive industry.

Over 56,300 EVs were sold during the month – the highest on record – achieving a 20.5% share of overall car sales. This is up from 16.6% a year ago.

The fleet sector drove much of this growth, making up 75.9% of EV registrations.

While private EV demand rose by 3.6%, SMMT says it is not rising fast enough to meet the government’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

Under the ZEV mandate, which aims to phase out new petrol and diesel car sales over the next six years, car makers must hit a nominal target of 22% of all sales being pure electric.

According to SMMT, this is resulting in “unprecedented manufacturer discounting”. SMMT calculates...