UK electric vehicle boom drives new car sales to 12-year high

Sales confound motor trade group predictions that surge in new car registrations would cool amid rise in import prices

The number of new cars registered in the UK hit a 12-year high in January, with electric vehicles taking a record share of the market, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The industry body had warned of a slowdown in the motor trade in 2017 because of the impact of the weak pound, but there was no sign of deceleration in the first monthly numbers of the year.