Total BEV Q2 sales hit 233,413 with YoY growth of 11.1% and 4.1% above last quarter.

The overall good performance of BEVs was charged by Spain with a year-on-year gain of 22% and France with 18.6%, while BEV sales in Italy fell 19.6% and 0.5% in Germany, ACEA said.

In a market at 206,501 units sold in Q2, it means Plug-In Hybrid Cars had 8.7% share, up from 8.4% a year ago. The larger share was achieved despite sales of PHEVs dipping 12.5% compared with the same period last year, although the volume was an increase of 3.7% over Q1.

ACEA said all major markets apart from Spain, where PHEV sales rose 11.3% year to date, had experienced lower PHEV sales, with sales down 17.4% in France, 16.9% in Germany, and 6.9% in Italy.

Sales of hybrid EVs in the European Union fell 2.2% year on year and 5.0% quarter on quarter to 534,754 units but that again did not prevent an increase in overall market share to 22.6% from 19.5% a year ago, owing to a decline in sales of conventionally-fueled cars, ACEA said.

Surging EV demand has lifted battery metal prices, with Platts seaborne lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide assessments gaining 110.95% and 136.1% respectively since early 2022 at $71,300/mt CIF North Asia and $74,900/mt CIF North Asia July 20, data showed.

Market share declines for ICE vehicles

In Q2, internal combustion engine vehicles still accounted for the lion's share of total sales at a combined 55.8%, but down from a 62% share last year.

Gasoline vehicles held a 38.5% market share in Q2, down from 41.8% a year earlier, and volumes fell to 909,703 units, down 22.2% year on year. However, the amount was up 12.6% on Q1 sales.

Diesel car sales drop 27.7% y.o.u to 409,174 units, 8.2% higher than Q1. Q2 diesel market share was 17.3%, compared with 20.2% a year earlier.