Global electric vehicle sales reached two million units in June, up 7% year-over-year, China still leading the charge.

"China’s vehicle manufactures continue to accelerate their EV export pivot as the domestic market remains down 14% year-to-date,” said Benchmark Mineral Intelligence senior EV analyst George Whitcombe. “These manufacturers are increasingly looking to expand further into the global market to offset the subdued domestic environment.”

China’s sales alone made up half of the global total at a million units, down 11% year-over-year but an increase from the previous month. The country increased its export of neighborhood electric vehicles, which are designed for short-distance travel and popular in old-world cities, reaching a monthly record of almost 500,000 units. And its sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the European market also rose, according to data compiled by Benchmark, a London-based electric battery and vehicle data provider.

At the beginning of July the first Chinese-made EVs entered the North American region via Canada thanks to a tariff quota agreement that allows 49,000 Chinese-built EVs to enter the country at a lower tariff rate. The newcomer: the Lotus Eletre EV, a high-performance SUV.

Meanwhile, overall North American EV sales reached 130,000 in June, down 13% year-over-year.

"The North American EV market remains hampered by weaker legislative drivers and a lack of subsidy support in the US, leaving the region’s EV sales down 20% year-to-date,” Whitcombe said.

Europe, however, had a record month for EV sales at 530,000, up 31% year-over-year, which Benchmark attributed partially to the war-fueled spike in fuel prices this year that's pushed consumers to shop for more fuel-efficient options. In particular, France, Denmark, Spain and Portugal had record monthly EV sales.