Aren’t battery minerals just as polluting as fossil fuels?

No. According to The Guardian, fossil fuel cars make ‘hundreds of times’ more waste than electric vehicles. Roughly 30 kilos of raw materials in a lithium-ion battery will be lost over the lifetime of an EV, compared to 17,000 litres of oil in an ICE vehicle. Another recent study also showed that EVs create a lower carbon footprint over their lifespan compared to traditional gasoline vehicles. In addition to battery recycling, some batteries are being repurposed for grid storage when they are no longer suitable for use in vehicles.