The Environmental Impact of EV Batteries

EV batteries require the mining of minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and manganese. This mining process causes pollution and consumes large amounts of fresh water. Countries like China and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have poor human rights records, are major suppliers of these minerals. China controls over 70% of global EV battery production capacity and relies heavily on fossil fuels for electricity. The recycling rate for these batteries is only 5%, with the majority ending up as pollutants. Overall, the production and use of EV batteries have significant negative environmental and humanitarian impacts.