The sales of new electric battery vehicles overtook diesel car purchases in Europe for the first time last month, but activity is far from pre-pandemic levels, a lobby group said Wednesday.

In June, the market share for cars running on electric batteries rose to 15.1%, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), with over 158,000 units sold in the EU.

Most EU markets recorded double or even triple-digit percentage gains, with heavyweights Germany, France and the Netherlands all posting increases of over 50%.

Petrol remained the new car fuel type with the largest market share at 36.3%, while hybrid electric vehicles were second at 24.3%.

Automakers and consumers are looking to steer away from vehicles running on polluting fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

A searing heatwave that has engulfed large parts of Europe this month has reinforced concerns about the impact of global warming on the planet.

The ACEA said new EU car registrations in the first six months of 2023 increased by 17.9%, with 5.4 million new units.

But it noted that cumulative volumes for the period were 21% lower than in 2019, the final full year before the coronavirus pandemic, which upended the industry and the global economy.

Lockdowns and restrictions on daily life decimated economic activity, while the reopening of economies saw the industry challenged by disrupted supply chains and inflation.

A 17.8% growth of the car market in the EU in June was due to a low comparison base last year, "primarily driven by vehicle component shortages," said the ACEA.

However, "the recent month's improvements indicate that the European automotive industry is recovering from supply disruptions caused by the pandemic," it added.