North American electric-vehicle sales continued to lag behind the global market in May, according to data compiled by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

The battery supply chain research and insights company reported that 1.8 million EVs sold globally during the month, up 3% year-over-year.

China, though still the volume leader, was down 9% year-over-year, but it's poised to make inroads in North America, where sales were down 26% year-over-year to 120,000 units. The decline comes on the heels of automakers pulling back on their EV investments in the U.S. and the removal of a federal EV tax credit last fall.

There was a clear divide between new and used EV sales in the U.S. alone, according to Cox Automotive data. New EV sales fell 22% year-over-year, accounting for just under 6% of total new-vehicle sales. Tesla remained the volume leader, though its market share dipped slightly to 48%.

U.S. used-EV sales, though, were up nearly 25% year-over-year, holding EV market share at just under 3%. Tesla was also the volume leader in that segment, though volume declined slightly month-over-month.

Canada could see an EV sales increase at the end of the year with China-based automaker BYD planning to enter the Canadian market. BYD confirmed plans for more than 20 dealerships across the Great White North.

In the overall global market, Europe saw the most growth in May with a 23% year-over-year increase in sales, which Benchmark credited in part to EV subsidy schemes across the region and the impact of rising fuel prices following the war in the Middle East.