Sales of Volkswagen electric cars have plunged by almost a quarter in Europe as demand for battery-powered vehicles stalls and buyers return to petrol. Electric vehicle (EV) sales fell by 24pc in the first three months of the year as high inflation and rising energy prices dampened demand. Globally, all-electric sales at the owner of Audi, Skoda and Porsche dropped by 3pc to 136,400, while sales of combustion engine cars climbed 4pc to nearly two million.
